Lies, Love and Betrayal
by Damiad The LoreMaster
Summary: Shortly after bringing Tsunade back to Konoha, Naruko is framed by Akatsuki for Sakura's murder. After she flees Konoha and is branded a missing-nin, she meets the Jinchuuriki Fū, a girl much like her. They bond and together they begin to build a Hidden Village all their own. A Village for Jinchuuriki, and other outcasts. Their goal? Destroy Akatsuki. Naruko x Fū. YURI, LEMONS!
1. How It Came To This

**LIES, LOVE AND BETRAYAL**

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**Greetings from the Void!**

**Well folks I'm trying this pairing idea out just 'cause it hasn't been done yet. On this site at least. Lets see if it sticks shall we? Mind you there's a limited understanding of Fu's personality. So I will do my best to make her seem as believable as possible.**

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_**CHAPTER 1: How It Came To This.**_

The skies above the valley swirled with dark ominous clouds. With each boom of resounding thunder, with each drop of torrential rain, the clouds seemed to respond to the rage and sorrow of a young blonde girl below.

It was impossible to tell the rain from her tears as she cradled the lifeless body in her arms, blood being washed away by the rain.

"Why did this happen!?" The girl shouted throughout the valley, "It wasn't supposed to be like this..." Her grief and rage weighed her down. "You have to wake up! I need you..." Her heart sank deeper with each second that her wish was not realized. Her throat felt like it was swelling.

Her head began spinning, her vision fading black, "F-Fu-chan..." She muttered sorrowfully. She looked down at the vicious wound on the the other girls stomach. Red chakra began to pour from her body.

This girl, Uzumaki Naruko, had lost the one thing that mattered to her more than anything. Her sorrowful wails echoed with the thunder as she pressed her forehead to Fu's. As the red chakra completely consumed her body it formed fox-like ears and one fox-like tail, then a second, and a third, until 7 tails had appeared, thrashing around her body.

Naruko looked to the stormy heavens, her sapphire iris' now a blood red, her pupils now slits. Her skin dissolving away from the intensity of the demonic chakra consuming her. With one more strike of lightning and a boom of thunder, she released a roar that shook the earth and overcame the chaos in the skies.

Far and wide, people across the great and minor nations alike, heard-no they _Felt_- the roar... and felt the pain it carried.

* * *

_14 months earlier..._

The sun was high in the sky radiating a pleasant warmth. The winds blew just slightly enough to ease the heat. Konohagakure had finally returned to normal after the Incident with the chunin exams, and the inauguration of the Godaime Hokage.

A young blonde girl, strolled through the streets, Her hands behind her back as she hummed to herself. The Sunlight glimmering off her sapphire eyes.

This young girl was the very one that defended Konoha from Sunagakure's Jinichuuriki, Gaara no Sabaku. The girl that sought out and brought the Sanin Tsunade to take up the mantle of Godaime Hokage. This girl was none of than Uzumaki Naruko, The jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Youko.

Her long blond hair was tied with black strings, into two fluffy and slightly curly ponytails that hung from the sides of her head. She wore a tight black jacket. The half under her b-cup(and growing) breasts was orange. The jacket sleeves grew baggier and wider as they went down her arm, finally reaching her first knuckles. The jacket ended at the bottom of her ribs, revealing her mid-drift while its collar reached up to her chin. She wore a short orange skirt that was secured to her waist by a black belt. To top it off she had a kunai pouch tied to her right thigh and black, boot-like sandals that almost reached up to her knees.

Naruko smiled as she reached her desired destination. The one. The only; Ichiraku ramen. She walked into the small stand, and noticed there was no one to greet her, but she also noticed the rustling in the back kitchen, "Oi, Teuchi-san!" She called.

An older man poked his head out from the back and smiled, "Ah Naruko! I was wondering when you'd show up today. And how is the Herald of Hokages doing today?" He asked his favorite customer.

"I'm good, thanks." She giggled slightly and took a seat on one of the stools, "Starving though! Bring me 3 Miso pork's please!"

"Coming up!" He replied before retreating his head back into the kitchen.

Soon her first bowl was placed in front of her. She readied her chopsticks, "Itadakimasu!" She said before digging in.

The young blonde quickly finished off her three bowls, and no sooner had she slurped the last noodle down did a certain pink haired kunoichi enter the stand, "There you are Naruko. I figured I'd find you here."

Naruko drank down the last of her broth and placed the bowl down before standing up and placing the money on the counter. She turned to her teammate, "Hey Sakura, whats up?"

"Have you seen Sasuke today?" Sakura inquired.

Naruko's face went blank and her eye brow twitched ever so slightly, "No Sakura, I haven't seen Sasuke today." she pinched the bridge of her nose. If there was one thing she couldn't stand anymore of, it was her friends constant obsession with the third member of their team. "Why don't you get it? He doesn't like you! He doesn't like _anybody_ for that matter."

The last comment received Naruko a fist to the top of her head, sending her to the ground. A fuming and furious Sakura clinched her fist tightly, looming over the blond, "Shut up!" Sakura's fury subsided with a sigh, "I'm worried about him."

Naruko stood up, rubbing the top of her head, "Yeah. Ever since the fight with Gaara he's kept to himself allot more than usual." She said, a twinge of concern escaping with her words. The two left the stand to the streets.

"Darn...I'm worried about him... and I wanted to ask him a question" Sakura sighed.

Naruko stopped in her tracks and turned to face her pink haired friend, "I'll answer your question for him; No, he does _not_ want to go out with you." And a solid fist collided with her whiskered cheeks.

"That's not even close to what I wanted to ask him!" Sakura barked.

Again, having to stand back up, Naruko looked at Sakura rubbing her new wound. "Well how the hell should I know? Every time your around him you're either swooning over him or beg him to go out with you."

Sakura would have clobbered her for a third time, if what the blonde said wasn't right. "I wanted to ask him about that new technique Kaka-sensei taught him for the chunin exams."

"Ha! My Jutsu is better!" Naruko replied arrogantly. A massive grin on her cheeks as she put her hands behind her head.

"What jutsu?" Sakura was confused, did she mean her shadow clones? Not likely.

"Oh yeah, you haven't seen it yet!" Naruko suddenly remembered she hadn't even had a chance to show it off to her fellow villagers yet. The only ones who had seen her do it were Tsunade, Jiraiya and the first victim she used it on...

"Ero-senin taught me a jutsu the Yondaime Hokage created!" Naruko beamed as she directed her thumb to herself, "It's called the Rasengan!"

Sakura's face sank, "You learned a crazy new jutsu too?" she exasperated. "What's it like?"

"Well follow me to the training grounds. I don't want to get yelled at for breaking stuff." Naruko said.

* * *

After they had arrived at the training grounds Naruko picked out her target, a large boulder protruding from the ground.

She formed a particular hand sign, "Shadow clone jutsu." With that a clone appeared next to her. She held out her hand to the clone who quickly began molding chakra into the originals hand. Swirling it around into a tightly condensed sphere.

Naruko ran at the rock, rearing the sphere back, "Rasengan!" she shouted as she smashed the sphere into the stones surface, ripping into it. It drilled its way in until it faded leaving a rather large crater in the rock.

Sakura's jaw plummeted, "You're kidding me..." She sighed, "I'm falling so far behind."

"Don't worry, you will get better with time. Maybe pick a field and master it or something. I don't know." Naruko tried to console her friend.

"Well... I did have one Idea. Kinda inspired by you. You're Jiraiya's student in a way. Maybe I could be Tsunade-sama's." Sakura suggested, "I heard she's the best med-nin ever. And I'm good at chakra control so maybe that's something I can do."

"Not a bad idea... If she actually trains you. It wasn't actually easy to convince oba-chan's drunken ass to be Hokage. I had to master an A-Rank Jutsu, get my butt kicked, my hand impaled, **_and _**save her life..." Naruko's rant kinda went off on a tangent. "But in the end she gave me this." She reached into her collar and pulled out a necklace with a crystal hanging from it.

"Well, I know that you and Jiraiya brought her back, and so I was wondering if you could maybe... throw in a good word for me?"

"Sure. We can go talk to her tonight when she leaves the Central Building. But for now, I'm gonna get some training in. And you can keep looking for Sasuke." Naruko said. "Meet me at my place at nine."

"Thanks." Sakura nodded and left to continue her search for Sasuke.

* * *

9 o'clock had finally come around. She was anxious, butterflies in her chest and throat. She was so hoping Tsunade would train her. She hadn't been able to find Sasuke so this could cheer her up. The pink haired girl reached the apartment of her blond teammate and walked up the stairs, seeing the lights were on.

Sakura knocked on the door, "Ne, Naruko, I'm here!" She called through the entrance, she soon heard the girl reply.

"Come in, it's unlocked!"

Sakura turned the door nob and entered the apartment. Hope filling her mind and heart.

* * *

Naruko fell to her back, panting. Dirtied, tired and sore. She resolved it a good bit of training, "Well... probably should head home... gotta meet Sakura-san still."

The blond sat up and darted towards her home. She was kinda eager to see if Tsunade would take Sakura as a student.

Naruko soon reached her apartment and looked up, noticing the lights were on. She stopped in her tracks, "_Did Sakura get there? Did I leave my door unlocked again?!_"

Naruko began walking up the stairs to her door when she heard a scream and a loud crash echo from inside her home, "Sakura?!" She darted to the door as the lights inside turned off.

She slammed the door open and found her living room table had been smashed. Sakura laying on top of the debris, gasping for air, a bloody wound on her chest. A person stood over her, covered by the shadows, holding a kunai dripping with blood. The person turned to Naruko, who was in shock at what she saw... the sheer suddenness, topped with the cruelty and terrible image before her left Naruko frozen, her teeth beginning to grind.

"Ah, she returns home." The stranger said.

She could feel an aura unlike anything she felt before. A pressure on her body that began to make her knee's tremble, "Wh-who are you?"

The man paused for a second, "You could say... I knew your parents."

Naruko looked back at Sakura, then to the stranger, "Wh-what did you do?"

The man chuckled slightly. Naruko's rage began to over power her fear, and she formed a shadow clone, who quickly helped her mold a Rasengan in her hand, "I'LL KILL YOU!" she shouted as she dashed at the man and drove her attack at him.

The desire she felt for his death was not realized though, as her Rasengan and her whole body, phased through the stranger, who merely took a few steps towards the door as Naruko canceled her jutsu and turned around.

The man turned to her, the light revealing a mask with lines on it and one circular eye hole on the right side, this also revealed his black cloak with red clouds on it. _Akatsuki_, "The question that should be asked is, what did _you_ do?" He said as he tossed the kunai at her lazily and she, by reflex, caught it.

Before Naruko could say another word the man seemed to vanish into a vortex emitting from his right eye.

Naruko dropped the blade to the ground and knelt down next to Sakura who was still gasping for air. But blood poured from her mouth and the wound in her chest. Naruko was desperately attempting to stop the bleeding, "Nar-Naruko..." Sakura managed to choke out, caughing blood onto Naruko.

Then Naruko noticed something in Sakura's eyes, they had the same markings as Sasuke's Sharingan. As much as she wondered why they were in her eyes she was more concerned with her friends life.

"Sakura-san, Hang in there I'm gonna get you to the hospital!" Naruko said desperately.

"N-Naruko... I... I can't br-breathe..." She grabbed the blonds arms tight in her pain, digging her nails into her skin, enough to draw blood, Then scratched at her face and neck. "It hu-hurts... Naruko... Stop...pl-please." Sakura's eyes went dull and her desperate attempts to breathe ceased... and Finally her grip released.

"Sakura-san! Sakura!" Naruko's eyes couldn't fight back the tears that began gushing out, "SAKURA!"

"Naruko! What have you done?!" A Harsh and assertive tone bellowed into the home. Naruko turned her sorrowful eye's back to the entrance of her home. Seeing an enraged trio of ANBU.

"Wait... no! I-I didn't do this... it was th-"

Naruko was cut off, "We just saw her trying to fight you off!" One ANBU shouted, "I always knew you were a monster! You're coming with us."

"No, I-"

"You'll be lucky if you don't get the death penalty." The second ANBU said, takign a step towards her.

"Stay away!" before Naruko herself even realized it, she pulled out a smoke bomb and tossed it on the floor. Then ten of her clones burst from the smoke scattering in all directions, towards the door, the windows. Anyway out. She did the only thing her body told her to do. She ran.

* * *

"_Oh kami... what the hell is happening? What am I doing. I just have to get away, I can't... I can't get captured! Sakura-san... I'm so sorry I couldn't save you._" As her mind raced, she didn't even realize the speed at which she ran across the roof tops. She quickly reached the protective wall around the village and scaled it before jumping to the tree's on the other side.

She ran as fast as she could, for as long as she could. She ran all night until the sun rose the next morning. She eventually collapsed on a tree, her legs no longer strong enough to carry her 5'3" tall, 100 pound body.

She panted, gasping for air, tears still pouring down her cheeks, "_Sakura... who was that man and why did he do this to you?" _She thought, then realized her biggest mistake, _"Oh yeah smart thinking Naruko, running like that. What the hell is wrong with me?! Now they think for sure that I'm the one that killed her. Kami, I'm such an idiot! I'm so fucking stupid._"

It hadn't sunk in yet just how suddenly this all happened. However, her exhaustion won out. The world grew darker to her as she drifted into unconsciousness. Never noticing the hypnotizing Sharingan Tomoe in her own eyes.

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**_NEXT CHAPTER:_**

**_Naruko trains secretly and has a fateful encounter with another young female jinchuuriki._**

**_Her world will never be the same._**

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**No, Naruko does _not_ own the Sharingan. That is not why she had it for the brief moment there. Just to clear that up quick.**

**Well there you folks have it. I hope I caught your interest. I know it wasn't the longest chapter but it's mostly a prologue. The following ones will be longer. Please review and tell me what you think. You're opinion DOES matter.**

**'Til Next Time this Damiad, Signing off from the Void!**


	2. A Fateful Encounter

**LIES, LOVE AND BETRAYAL**

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**Greetings from the Void!**

**Well**** then, I suppose the first chapter didn't do too bad. I would like to see more input from you readers though! So I guess we shall continue with the story.**

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_**Chapter 2: A Fateful Encounter.**_

It was a typical summer day in Yu no Kuni(Hot springs country). The warm day cloaked the people of a moderate sized village known as Attakawa village. It was in the southern foot hills of the country. Its citizens went happily about their business as they did any other day.

Except not all were sharing such a positive feeling. There was one in particular. This girl wasn't the happiest in the world. Actually, she had half a mind just to burn Attakawa village down, just to relieve some stress. And by all rights she had the capacity to do it.

Fortunately for the simple fools of this village she wasn't that cruel. In fact, as much as she knew these folk would hate her for what she is, she still preferred being in the presence of other people. It was better than being alone in the wilderness.

This girl walked down the streets with her hands behind her head, a slightly crooked scowl on her lips. The people of the village would shoot her some occasional looks. She was, however, a new face.

She ignored this and continued about her business until she noticed a fruit vendor's stand on the side of the small street. Then she looked around and noticed the other types of food stands around her.

The entrancing aroma's from the countless different types of food began to dig their way into her olfactory system. Bending her whim to the theirs. She narrowed her eyes, knowing full well she had no money to buy anything. Then she felt her stomach. It growled angrily at her.

She looked back at the fruit stand. More specifically, the pile of shiny red apples. It had been a few days at least, since she had eaten. And for someone like her that was bad.

Then the voice of her one and only friend echoed through her mind, "_**I have a question for you my little larva.**_" It was a loud and strong voice, yet was like that of a kind and nurturing mother.

"_What is it Chō-chan?_" The girl replied mentally.

"_**Please stop calling me that... it seems... insulting to my name.**_"

"_Well then stop calling me 'Little Larva'... you know damn well, my name is Fū. What was your question?_"

"**_Why do you not just take the food? It is illogical to deny food you could easy claim for yourself. Its the cycle of life. Kill or be killed. Eat or be eaten._**"

"_First off, I intended to steal some... second, just 'cause I'm gonna do it doesn't mean I like it. And third, I'd rather find work that's suited to us and make some money._"

The voice chucked within, "**_Humans... always trying to defy nature._**"

"_Damn straight. To humans, nature wavers and retaliates. To a jinchuuriki like me, nature bends to our command._"

With that comment, Fū stepped into a small alley near the fruit stand and formed a quick number of hand signs before blowing an invisible blade of air out of her mouth that traveled out the alley and sliced off two of the four legs of the fruit vendors table. This resulted in his produce crashing down to the ground and being blow down the street by the sudden wind.

"What the-?" The vendor shouted as he chased after his business items. Everyone was too distracted by the vendor to notice a gale of wind lift up five apples and float them over to Fū. Who grabbed them and quickly bit into one with a smile as she casually walked in the opposite direction of the commotion.

After she munched down the apples she came across a sign that was like a god send. It read 'Attakawa Hot springs and Public bath'

Fū's orange eyes lit up and glimmered with joy. She hadn't had a hot bath in almost two weeks. Sure a river will get you clean, but freeze your limbs off in the process.

"_I am so gonna soak for hours!_" Fū thought before entering the building. She found her way to the locker room, changed out of her clothes and proceeded to soak in the hot spring.

After almost two hours, Fū had decided that her body was clean and relaxed enough. She stepped out of the water and stretched her wet shimmering body. Her slightly tanned skin being caressed by the light.

"Ahhh I needed that..." she sighed contently, before grabbing her towel and wrapping it around herself.

"**_Little Larva Fū ..._**" she heard the motherly voice once again.

"_What is it now, Chō-chan?_"

"**_I am not entirely sure...I feel as though, something that's been missing from me, is near._**"

"_What the hell does that mean?_"

"_**I do not know... Sorry to have troubled you with it.**_"

"_Whatever._" Fū shrugged as she entered back into the locker room. She noticed there was another girl there undressing for the hot springs. A girl not more than a year younger than her. And with a rather sad and angered look on her face.

She paid the girl no further mind and pulled the basket out that held her belongings. She quickly put on her outfit which consisted of a short sleeveless white midriff shirt with fishnet armor underneath, long white cloth armlets, and fishnet shorts with a short white apron skirt over it. Her Takigakure forehead protector was worn on her right arm. Fū also picked up a large red cylindrical object which she then strapped to her back.

To put her sandals back on, she sat down on the bench near the other girl who now had completely stripped her clothes off. Finally the girl removed a necklace which she placed in the basket with her clothes before putting the basket on the shelf. She untied her hair and put the ties in the basket as well.

Fū's eyes couldn't resist the shiny piece of jewelery as she eyed it. Her eye brow raised along with her peeked interest.

The girl then walked out of the locker room to the hot springs. Opportunity shined. A mischievous grin crept its way on to Fū's face. "_That necklace could fetch me enough cash to eat for a month._"

* * *

_15 minutes earlier..._

The recently branded, though unjustly, murderer and traitor, Uzumaki Naruko walked into the border of a small town called Attakawa village.

Her clothes were dirty, her body was bruised. Naruko bore a constant look of furious intent on her face. It had almost been two months since she fled from Konoha. She had yet to come up with any answers as to who the masked man was and why he killed Sakura. And without knowing that she couldn't clear her name.

Though she remained in contact with the toads in which she held a summoning contract, she made them promise to never tell anyone anything about what she was doing. Apparently Gamabunta was reluctant to agree to this. He wanted to tell Jiraiya that his student was innocent and doing fine.

But Naruko persisted. Then, once the toads had conceded to her request, she asked them to obtain for her any source material they could on Fuuinjutsu training. She immediately began studying them. Hoping that it would serve her well in her quest for vindication.

Her training was apparent in the fairly large scroll that hung horizontally off the back of her waist. She had vowed that she would make Sakura's killer pay for what he had done to her. _And then some..._

But first... She needed a bath... bad. After training and evading potential trackers for almost two months she just wanted to melt away into a hot steamy bath.

So after wondering around town she found a building, whose sign read; 'Hot springs and Public baths.' Sighing with relief she sealed her large scroll into a mark on her belt and entered the building, eventually finding her way to the locker room. As Naruko began to undress she noticed another girl enter the locker room out of the corner of her eye.

Naruko paid little attention to her. She was lost in her thoughts. As she finished undressing, she noticed the girl was staring at something in her direction. Feeling awkward she ignored it as she put the basket on the shelf and untied her ponytails before dropping the ties in the basket as well.

As she left the locker room and proceeded to the hot spring, she began to reminisce on her home. Her teammates. Her sensei. Sandaime Hokage. Ero-senin. Tsunade-basama.

With the last thought she grabbed the crystal necklace around her neck... well she _would_ have at least had it been there. Instead she grabbed air, "Ah dang it... I forgot to put it back on..." She grumbled before returning back to the locker room which was now empty.

Naruko walked up to her basket and pulled it down to rummage through it for her necklace, "What the hell?" She barked in panic. She couldn't find it so she dumped the basket out on the floor and frantically dug through everything.

After realizing it wasn't there she grabbed her head in frustration, "Are you kidding me?! What could have happene-" she stopped herself when she remember the green haired girl in the locker room.

"FUCK!" She screamed loud enough for the villagers to hear her.

* * *

Fū was already running out of the village with a large grin on her face. The voice of her body's tenant spoke up once more, "**_Well done. But where are you going?_**"

"_I know just the guy to sell this little beauty too._" Fū answered confidently.

"**_You should be careful with that trinket. There's something about it that makes my exoskeleton crawl. almost like we... or I shouldn't be near it. Yet at the same time I should be. Was this what I was sensing earlier?_**"

"_Chō-chan, you make less sense with each passing day. Are you losing your mind in there?_"

"**_Hhmm. Perhaps..._**"

"_Well either way you wont have to be near this thing for long. Once I sell it off that is._" Fū remarked. She had already made it FAR from the village. She was fast. She could be faster if she chose to fly. But its not like she was fleeing from other shinobi, right?

Just then the beast within her became alert, "_**Incoming!**_"

Fū immediately stopped in her tracks as a blur shot over her head and landed several feet in front of her knocking up a dust cloud.

The mint-haired girl let out a whistle of 'awe'. When the dust cleared it revealed a blue toad about twice the size of a human. A particular blond girl stood on its back. Now fully re-dressed, save for her un-zipped jacket which revealed the fishnet under armor and her cleavage.

Naruko stood ready, the large scroll now standing next to her, with her hand on it. She jumped off the back of the Toad summon, "Thanks, You can head home now. I can handle the rest"

"Understood" The toad nodded before vanishing in a pop of smoke.

Naruko turned to Fū, who had an amused smirk on her face and her hands on her hips, having noticed Naruko's forehead protector, "I don't know who you are, and I don't care. I don't want to fight so just. Give. It. Back." Naruko held her free hand out.

"Give what back?" Fū cooed, "I haven't got the slightest idea of what your talking about." She lazily lied.

"Don't feed me that crap, I know you have my necklace. Just give it back. I don't want to hurt you." Naruko narrowed her eyes at the other girl.

Fū scoffed slightly, her smirk ever present. "Hurt _me_? Aww kid thats adorable! You couldn't hurt me if you tried."

"Want to bet? Just give me the necklace."

"Mmm...Nah, This things gonna keep my stomach full for at least a month" Fū taunted. "Listen up Twerp, cut your losses you're not getting it back so I'd advise you just go back to the village."

Naruko's anger began to peek. She was by _NO_ means in the mood for this shit. Unbeknownst to Naruko however was pulse of a certain bijuu's chakra that emitted from within her for just a second. "If you wont give it to me, I'll just take it."

The beast within Fū, changed her demeanor to urgency, as Fū had already accepted the challenge and charged at Naruko, "**_Little larva! Stop! You need to listen to me first!_**"

"_Not now. Hold on just one minute. Just gotta deal with this girl._" Fū ignored her Bijuu's plea's.

"**_You don't understan-_**" But Fū severed their mental link. She often did this, feeling her tenant liked to talk too much.

The mint-haired girl readied a punch as she closed in on her target who quickly brought up her large scroll to block the attack. Fū then followed up with a couple more punches which were also blocked. She jumped up and spun around to kick at the girl two times. Both were blocked but she began to push Naruko back.

She landed on the ground and back flipped, kicking the scroll upwards in the process before sweep kicking at Naruko's legs.

Naruko jumped over the kick and as gravity brought her down so to did she bring down her scroll like a hammer on top of Fū who crossed her arms above herself to block it. She winced from pain. Shocking, considering it was just a scroll she was hit with.

Fū pushed the scroll away and delivered a straight kick at Naruko who jumped back to dodge it. Naruko formed a hand sign and a gang of nine shadow clones appeared around her, all wielding scrolls. Then they charged at Fū who was instantly put on the defensive.

She blocked and dodged three clones attacks before punching one in the gut and dispersing it. Then she spun around and trip kicked another clone. It too vanished.

Fū quickly dodged a horizontal swing of a scroll from a clone before flipping over it, grabbing it's shoulder and completing a front flip to throw the clone into another one dispersing them both.

Naruko patiently watched as her clones skirmished with the girl. She was pretty good. But its not like she was first to man-handle Naruko's shadow clones.

Finally, with a roundhouse kick the last clone dispersed and Fū stood proudly, ready for Naruko's next attempt. However her opponent remained stoic and still.

Fū decided to make the next move and quickly dashed back at Naruko. She jumped to deliver a powerful kick to Naruko's head but she quickly rolled under the kick and to Fū's side before swinging the scroll and smashing it into the mint-haired girls side.

This sent Fū rolling across the ground until she corrected herself. She scoffed before forming hand signs, "Hidden Scale Powder Jutsu!" she said before exhaling a large, glimmering cloud of powder that reflected light so brightly Naruko had to shield her eyes.

"_Damn!_" Naruko cursed inwardly.

Fū used this chance to sprout colorful insect like wings from her lower back and she flew into the cloud of powder she created. Naruko was too blinded to stop her opponent from shooting past her and delivering a powerful hit that knocked Naruko off her feet. Before she could hit the ground, Fū shot by her again knocking her in the opposite direction.

Naruko was helpless as the other girl continued to fly by her at such high speeds it was like an omnidirectional blur pummeling her. Fū swooped in to finish it and smashed a fierce punch into Naruko's gut before grabbing the blonds shoulders to fly straight into the air. Upon reaching the apex of her accent, Fū spun around and threw her victim into the ground hard, knocking up a large dust cloud.

Fū hovered triumphantly in the air. She waited for the dust to clear... then she realized she had made a big mistake, as Naruko was gone.

Fū whipped her head back and forth, scanning the area. But Naruko was nowhere to be seen. Until eight Naruko's shot up out of the ground. Two of which, wielding the large scrolls. This threw Fū off, enough to stop her from evading what was to come next.

In mid-air, one of the Naruko clones spun around and with the scroll, hit the bottoms of another clones feet, thus launching her up even faster. This clone delivered a devastating swing of her scroll to Fū's head, almost causing her to do a full back flip from the force. The same clone spun around and hammered her opponent one more time and sent her down to the Naruko's below her.

The first clone she came in range of, viciously jabbed her scrolls tip into Fū's gut, knocking the air out of her lungs for a moment and shooting her back up a bit. The next clone, punched her in the face. The rest of the clones whizzed by the seemingly limp body, each delivering a savage blow. The Nakuro that landed the first hit then came crashing down on Fū, slamming the scroll on her as they both descended, until finally the scroll smashed the girl between its self and the ground.

Fū coughed up some blood, before growling angrily. She released two more wings from her back that knocked Naruko away, revealing her to be the real one. Fū quickly lifted off the ground and shot up through the clones that were still in mid-air.

The blast of wind she created as she shot past them, reduced them all to smoke.

Naruko stood back up and looked up at the girl who rolled over and shot back down towards the ground, crossing her arms in front of herself. The blond female in her sights as she descended.

"_Those wings of hers are getting annoying. I wish I could fly..._" Naruko whined inwardly, "_Oh well... least I got this..._" she smirked. Fū closed in, mere milliseconds away when, one more Naruko clone jumped out from the ground below her, a Rasengan in hand. The attack barely missed the aerial adversary as she changed course in the last possible moment.

"_Damn, how many of these stupid clones can she make?_" Fū inwardly cursed. "_She hasn't even opened that scroll yet. I'm kinda worried about whats in it._" She brought herself to a hovering position several meters in the the air. She again formed a set of hand signs, "Hidden Scale Powder Jutsu!"

"_Crap, not this again._" Naruko cursed, the glimmering dust already blinding her from above. Naruko tried to run but Fū simply followed after her with her jet of powder, eventually consuming her blond enemy. After succeeding in smothering her with her powder she formed a new set of hand seals, "Good bye! Fire style; Great Fireball Jutsu"

Fū pinched her fingers in front of her lips and shot a searing fireball into the Hidden scale powder, which instantly ignited. Releasing a powerful explosion that even the people of Attakawa village could see, hear and feel.

The mint-haired girl simply smirked at her accomplishment, "All for a stupid necklace... I hope it was worth it, Twerp."

"**ITS MORE THAN WORTH IT**!" She heard Naruko's voice roar demonically. A pulse of red chakra rippled out, shaking tree's with its force, and dispersing the cloud of dust,"**Give. It. BACK!**" Naruko roared again. Fū could now see something that terrified her.

Naruko was covered in a fox shaped cloak of red, boiling chakra. One tail of pure chakra whipping around behind her. Something Fū had never seen, "Another Jinchuuriki?!"

Then, finally breaking through the mental block, the voice of the beast within bellowed, "_**That's what I was trying to tell you earlier! I knew I sensed a Bijuu's chakra!**_"

"_Which one?!_"

"_**I couldn't tell before, but now, seeing that cloak around her... Little Larva I think you bit off more than you can chew this time. That girl, houses Kurama!**_"

"_Who?_"

"_**The Kyuubi!**_"

Fū's face sank at what she was just told, "_Ahhh, shit... but I thought the Kyuubi was dead. Didn't the Yondaime Hokage sacrifice himself to kill him?_"

"_**I never believed that for a second. We Bijuu are immortal... ****He must have sealed Kurama within this girl.**_"

The conversation was interrupted by a furious Naruko, extending an arm of chakra towards Fū, who nimbly dodged to the side. The chakra arm quickly turned and slammed into Fū's back, driving her back near Naruko.

Fū recovered in mid-air before coming too close to the blond, "_Okay, Chō-chan, lets kick it up a notch._"

"_**If you insist...**_"

The mint-haired kunoichi suddenly became enveloped in her own cloak of red chakra, "Bug Bite!" She shouted as she charged towards Naruko who jumped up to clash with her.

/\/\/\

The Shichibi suddenly found herself outside of Fū's mindscape. It was now in an empty black world of nothingness, save for two cages. One of which she was in. Then she heard a low and dark growl emit from the cage beside her own.

Two large red eye's opened up revealing their existence, Then it spoke angrily, "_**Chōmei... you have grow brazen in our years apart. You DARE attack me, little sister?**_"

"_**Nice to see you too, Kurama. Stop calling me 'little sister'...**_" Was Chōmei's only response.

"_**Why not? You ARE younger than me.**_" Kurama retorted.

"_**No ones ever been able to prove that!**_" Chōmei defended herself, "_**And I'm not the one attacking you. My vessel is fighting your vessel**_."

"**_I DON'T CARE! Put an end to it! Or I will! And I assure you, my solution will be MUCH less... preferable!_**" Kurama commandingly roared.

"_**How bout we just cut them off from our chakra and let them duke it out alone?**_"

"_**So be it!**_" Kurama agreed.

/\/\/\

As Naruko and Fū both exchanged a furious number of blows back and forth, the ground shook. But that all ceased when the red chakra around them both faded and Fū's wings were gone. This just so happened moments before they each punched one another in the face. Their skirmish suddenly stopping.

They broke apart and stumbled backwards.

"Wh-what the hell?" Fū questioned no one in particular as she looked herself over.

Naruko gave herself a once over as well, "Damn it..."

Then they locked their gazes back together. Naruko narrowed her eyes, "Whore..." she said before slapping the girl across the face. This knocked Fū of balance for a second.

The comment and slap made Fū's eye twitch, "Bitch!" She slapped Naruko right back.

"Cunt!" Naruko slapped her again.

"Slut!" Soon their slapping turned into a flurry of punches and then they were rolling around on the ground. Each trying to either rip the others hair out or gauge the others eyes. All while backed with uncivilized curses. At this point it wasn't even a real fight. Just two angry girls blowing off steam.

Eventually their wrestling came to an end as Fū kicked the blond off of her. Both girls were now running on empty.

Fū sat up and looked at the girl who began to crawl on her hands and knee's to her, "Give... it... back..." she ordered as she inched closer.

"I don't get it! It's just a stupid necklace! Why do you want it so badly!?"

"Because someone special gave it to me and it's all I have left of my home!" Tears leaked out of the corners of Naruko's eyes.

Fū sighed in defeat, "Fine... take it... it's not worth the trouble," she reached in to her shirt and pulled the necklace out before tossing it to Naruko who caught it.

"Th-thank you..." Naruko panted as she sat up on her knee's and put it on. She wiped the tears away, "You must have been pretty hungry to fight over it so hard."

"You have no idea." She then reflected on her blond associates comment about home, "I wish I had something in my village to care for like that."

Naruko then thought of herself and Gaara. Both jinchuuriki, and both with miserable lives growing up, "I didn't have much in my village to love for a long time. But then, I became a shinobi and started to form bonds with my teammates and others. I was even earning some respect in the chuunin exams. I guess you didn't have that luxury?"

Fū simply shook her head. "Not a single person in my village liked me. More times than not my genin squad would disregard and abandon me, leaving me to fend for myself. So eventually I couldn't stand it anymore. I was so close to losing control and slaughtering my village. But I chose to leave instead."

"It's terrifying how much alike you and Gaara are."

"Gaara? I've heard that name before. Sunagakure's Gaara no Sabaku?" She questioned.

"Yeah... He's the Ichibi's jinchuuriki."

"I didn't know he was like us... I heard he was a monster but I didn't think it was literal."

"We are NOT monsters!" Naruko yelled, "I'm sick and tired of us being treated like that!"

"Well from what I heard all of us jichuuriki are treated like dirt... despite that, I honestly enjoy being a jichuuriki. Chōmei is the only friend I've ever had."

"Chōmei?" Naruko inquired.

"The Shichibi, Lucky Seven Chōmei as she likes to call herself."

"Well, We're both in the same boat... so how be we start over with a fresh slate? I'm Uzumaki Naruko!" She said holding her and out to the other girl.

"...I'm Fū..." She shook the other girls hand, a slight smirk marking her lips.

* * *

_**NEXT CHAPTER:**_

_**Naruko and Fū begin to bond while they search for work suited to their skills.**_

_**Their lives begin to look up.  
**_

* * *

**_Well there is chapter 2. I hope you enjoyed. Review and share your opinions. It will only make the story better!_**

**_'Til next time, this is Damiad, signing of from the Void!_**


	3. New Bonds

**LIES, LOVE AND BETRAYAL**

* * *

**Greetings from the Void!**

**I'm rather impressed and yet confused lol, this fic is making a killing in the faves and alerts department. Even on two c2's. Yet only 6 reviews :p puzzling. Well I hope you lot enjoy this chapter. This ones a pretty long one but it leads to an event that is of great importance.  
**

**I also snuck an old school reference into this chapter. Its kinda subtle but I hope someone catches it! **

* * *

_**Chapter 3: New Bonds**_

The sun had begun to float its way down over the horizon. Night was soon to come. Naruko and Fū walked along a long path that lead through the forests of Yu no Kuni. They had left Attakawa village after their fight, not wanting to cause more trouble. They hardly noticed the time pass by due to their conversations.

"...and so that is just about everything that has happened to me in the 13 years I've been alive and how I ended up at Attakawa." Naruko sighed as she slouched over some. She turned to the other girl, "Now its your turn."

Fū walked with her hands behind her head, a sympathetic look on her face, "Yeah... I'd say that is a pretty messed up life..." She commented, "_Unfortunately_, I can top that..."

"Lets hear it."

"Unlike you I've only been out of my village for a few weeks. My life started out kinda bad, got a bit better then took a nose dive... a nose dive that hasn't stopped."

-**FLASHBACK**-

A loud smack echoed out and a 4 year old Fū was sent into the side of a cliff not far outside of Takigakure. She looked up at the group of much older kids through one eye. Her other eye bruised and swollen shut. Blood dripped from her forehead and lip. The group of five kids all had to be at least 12 or older.

"W-why... why are you h-hurting me?" Fū asked as tears poured from her eyes. She didn't know why she bothered asking this question anymore though.

"Because we can. No one in the village cares about you." The boy that seemed to lead the group declared. He was also the only one brandishing a newly obtained Takigakure forehead protector. "And you're practice for my taijutsu."

"Yeah my mom says shes a demon!" the only girl in the group of five said.

Fū weakly pushed herself to her feet, using the rock face behind her as a brace, "I didn't... do anything." she replied meekly.

"Yeah you did! You have that nasty snot colored hair!" The older girl laughed, this in turn incited the chorus of laughter from her friends. Fū's tears became stronger and she began to walk away along the wall.

"Yeah and she has creepy eyes too! Maybe she really IS a demon!" the lead boy shouted as he ran up to the limping girl and delivered a swift and harsh kick to her side, compacting her into the wall before she fell to the ground.

The boy grabbed a fist full of Fū's hair and pulled her to her feet. Fū shrieked in pain, her tears flowing uncontrollably. The boy readied a fist and swung it at her.

The young girl flinched but felt no pain. She opened her eye and saw an adult holding the boys wrist, "Kaku! Stop this immediately!"

"R-Renzou-sama... y-you're back?!" Kaku winced in pain and released Fū who dropped to her hands and knees and scurried a few feet away.

The man known as Renzou, yanked the boys wrist into a chicken wing before tossing him like a rag doll. Kaku landed on his back and slid up to the feet of his friends, "Get back to the village, now!" the man demanded.

"Y-Yes, sir!" They replied fearfully and ran back to the village.

Renzou sighed and turned to the cowering Fū, "Are you okay?" He asked as he walked up to her.

Fū scooted back in caution. She had just learned not to trust people she knew... let alone ones she didn't. Renzou crouched down next to her and slowly reached his hand out to the girl. She flinched in fear and covered her small frame as best she could.

"Its okay, little one, I'm not gonna hurt you... My name is Kuken Renzou..." He said softly, "I can't believe, that in my absence, the village has dropped so low as to let this kind of treatment go on."

"Y-you're lying... everyone who says they wont hurt me, hurts me."

The man sighed again and quickly scooped the young child up in his arms, she awaited the pain of being dropped, thrown or strangled. But her fears were not realized as the man gently cradled her on his way back to the village. After a few moments she began to feel at piece in this mans arms. Safe almost. To her, something was different about this man.

Despite this slight comfort she was still crying and felt as though something bad was gonna happen, like it always did. Her body was shaking heavily in his arms.

"Don't worry little one, we'll get you patched up and tell your parents." He said.

"I... don't have parents..." she bit her lower lip.

"An orphan? Unfortunate..." He said, "Do you know what happened to them?"

Fū merely shook her head, "Poor thing." Renzou said.

* * *

A few days had passed and Fū had been staying with Renzou at his home. Fū had started to trust him but was still world-wary of just about everyone and thing.

The two sat at the table and ate their dinner when a knock came at the door. Renzou stood up and answered the door. Another man not much older than himself stood on the other side.

"Renzou, its good to see you back from your extended mission to Kusagakure... I would have visited sooner had I not been negotiating a trade agreement with the wave country representatives. How many years has it been? Five? Six almost?"

"Long enough for our village to suffer, Jinko." Renzou replied. "Come in" he directed his guest.

Once inside the man named Jinko slid his sandals off and entered the living and dining area, noticing Fū eating her dinner at the table, "What is that street urchin doing in your home?" he asked with a pang of disgust in his voice.

Fū's heart sank at the comment. Renzou was the only one who had shown her prolonged kindness, now she was worried that Jinko, a man she had a number of dealings with in the past, would try to ruin that.

"Her name is Fū and she is not an 'urchin'... she's a human being, no less important than you or I" Renzou retorted.

"Well whatever, now that your back home I relieve myself as your replacement. You are hereby reinstated as the village's Minister of External Affairs." Jinko said, "This job sucks. I don't know why you chose it."

"Because our village needed an open minded individual to conduct our relations with other villages and countries." Renzou replied, "My 6 years in Kusagakure have solidified our relationship with them. They will support us in any way we request. I have promised them that we would do the same for them."

"Impressive, and their country's daimyou supports this?" Jinko asked. He promptly received a nod.

"However despite this success I see our village has fallen to the point of allowing brutal treatment of its orphan children." He glared at Jinko.

"It can't be helped... She was the first success..." Jinko implied.

"The first success in what?" Renzou questioned with a bit of anger behind his voice.

"Ahh yes, you were gone so its not surprising you don't know. That girl was born, a bastard child, to a whore of a mother who died in child birth. So we took it upon ourselves to attempt the sealing on her. On the day of her birth That girl was made into the first jinchuuriki our village has successfully sealed the shichibi into." Jinko explained.

"They managed to succeed finally?!" Renzou was shocked to say the least.

Fū, who had been listening intently, began to tear up. She didn't know what they were talking about but she knew for sure that now Renzou would hate her.

"Yes. I oversaw the sealing myself." Jinko said, "and until we can prove that she can be trusted with that power we will show no leniency."

"You ignorant fools!" Renzou shouted, this caused the young girl to flinch in her seat. "You expect her to harbor trust towards you, yet you allow her to be treated like dirt? The only thing that will accomplish is making her resent us all. And with the power of the Shichibi she could easily turn that resentment into a weapon against us! You want her trust and loyalty? Then start treating her like a human being! Not like a stray rabid dog."

"It's impossible to change peoples opinions of her. When shichibi was sealed into her there was an unfortunate side-effect. She immediately transformed into the Shichibi and though it only had a fraction of its true power it nearly laid the village to waste before we managed to subdue it with several lost lives and allot of our hero water." Jinko explained, "It was a mistake to ever assume humans could harness a bijuu's power. They are too strong, vile and corrupt. That incident made me lose Hikari and Inoue. I won't forgive that demon."

"I'm sorry to hear about your wife and daughter but they died because you all were fools. That girl is not responsible for their deaths. You have only yourselves and the shichibi to blame for that. We had the beast sealed away were it could do no harm but the village still tried to make a jinchuuriki. Then they blame the innocent child, whose life they ruined, for it's destruction." Renzou said.

Jinko grabbed Renzou by the collar and pulled him closer, "Don't you DARE say such things! Hikari was my wife and your friend!"

Renzou swatted Jinko's hand away and glared at him, "Yes she was. And I will always honor and remember her as such. But I warned the village elders! I pleaded with them! On my knee's! To never try sealing the Shichibi into a human again. Each attempt was met with disaster. We were not ready! We are the only minor hidden village to have a Bijuu. Sure, the five great nations had better skilled fuuinjutsu users, so they could properly seal a Bijuu into a human. But even they cannot presume to control such a power or the person who wields it."

"You speak as though you know this by experience..." Jinko replied.

"Yes. I do. In my time in the grass country I met a jinchuuriki. A missing-nin from Iwagakure. He was called Yoton no Roshi. He had apparently just abandoned his village. Then ten Iwa tracker-nins hunted him down to a village in the grass country where I was staying. I saw this jinchuuriki slaughter every. Single. One of them. He melted them down with the lava element, leaving nothing but smoldering fossils. He never even had to move. He then continued about his business as if nothing had happened."

"That's Iwa's own fault for not knowing how to control him." Jinko said.

"And the same kind of thing could happen with Fū if you continue to treat her like that."

"I will stave my hatred for her... but I cannot control the people or their hearts." Jinko said before slipping his sandals back on. "I'm going to go report to the counsel that I've officially returned your position to you." He said before opening the door. Before he stepped out he turned back to Renzou, "Be careful old friend, you're treading on on unstable waters." With that he exited the house and closed the door.

Renzou turned to see that Fū was no longer at the table, "Fū-chan..." He called out as he walked towards her room. He pulled the door open and looked in to see the young girl with her face buried in her pillow, crying.

Renzou sat down on the edge of her bed and put his hand on her back, "Little one?"

Fū sat up and faced him, tears streaming, "Renzou-nii... whats the Shichibi? And why do people hate me because of it?"

"That's... complicated, little one. I don't know if you would understand." Renzou said.

"I want to try though..." she replied as she wiped away her tears.

Renzou looked up at the ceiling, he conceded to her, knowing it was probably the best way to avoid her becoming a threat to the village. "Okay... well to understand what the Shichibi is you have to know what the Bijuu are..." he started.

-**END FLASHBACK**-

"So he explained to me what the Bijuu were and told me everything he knew about Chōmei. Which wasn't much mind you. The specific details about each individual Bijuu are shrouded in myth and superstition." Fū explained.

"Renzou seems nice. So what happened next?" Naruko asked, her curiosity peeking.

"Well nothing too spectacular for the next 4 years. Other than the occasional villager or ninja trying to kill me. That lead to Renzou teaching me the basics of being a ninja. Being a jounin he had quite the bit to teach. Thanks to him I entered the villages academy at age six and graduated at age eight. I was so happy... He was so proud of me..." Fū smiled as she reminisced, then the smile was overcome by a look of sorrow.

"Whats wrong?" Naruko asked noticing her new friends demeanor.

"A few days after I graduated, Renzou-nii finally got some time off duty and he was gonna take me to go get dinner to celebrate... that's when my life took that nose dive I mentioned to you."

"What happened?" Naruko was almost afraid to ask the question.

"Put simply we got jumped by some shinobi that were afraid of the fact that I became a ninja. I'm not gonna get into the details because it hurts too much... but Renzou sacrificed himself to protect me that night. He managed to kill or fight off half of them but its my fault he's dead. When I saw him die I blacked out and woke up sometime later surrounded by their dead bodies and in the middle of a fire that had started burning the village down. A fire I caused. Found out later that was the first time I ever tapped into Chōmei's power. After that, the people stopped trying to kill me but their hatred only grew deeper. I never connected with anyone again after Renzou died."

Naruko looked down in sorrow. Fū's story was oddly reminiscent of her own incident with Iruka and Mizuki, "I know that kind of pain..." She said. "But I never wanted to leave my home. And when I find out who that masked man is, I'm going to make him suffer for killing Sakura and taking away everything I ever cared about."

"Well revenge in that regard is something I can get behind. But how in the hell do you plan on finding him? We don't exactly have the resources of our villages."

Naruko's eye twitched and she blushed a bit before scratching the back of her head, "Yeah well... umm... I haven't exactly thought that far ahead. Right now I'm more focused on training and finding a means of surviving." Naruko explained.

"Well if you mean a form of income, I only have one idea." Fū said.

"We're not stealing it" Naruko quickly retorted.

Fū flicked the younger girl in the side of the head, "Not what I was gonna suggest. And that's always gonna have to be an option whether we like it or not."

"Well then what _was_ your suggestion?"

"We can go talk to the guy I was intending to sell your necklace to. He might be able to hook us up with some work. or if not, maybe some leads for work."

"Who is he and where can we find him?"

"His name is Kuja." The mint-haired girl answered before pointing to her 3 o'clock position at some mountains in the distance, "See those mountains? He lives up there. When I was on my genin team we had several mission to protect his caravans or to make trades with him. He has a large network of suppliers from all over the continent."

"Sounds like our best bet, I guess we should hurry then, let go!" Naruko said before she started dashing forwards. Fū merely chuckled, "Her forgetfulness is cute..."

Fū sprouted four wings from her lower back and lifted herself off the ground before flying up behind Naruko and hooking her arms under the blonds to lift her up off the ground, "Hey-whoa!" Naruko barked in shock.

"You already forgot I can just fly us there didn't you?" she giggled.

Naruko blushed and crossed her arms as she dangled in mid air, "...maybe..."

"Well enjoy the ride, its gonna be a fast one!" The mint-haired girl declared before taking off even faster and higher towards the mountains.

* * *

Naruko had to say, she was impressed with her new companions speed. This would make traveling so much easier... for her at least. However Fū seemed unphased by the extra weight. Little did Naruko know that its was because Fū could carry three times her own weight easily with the strength of four wings and unbridled natural strength. This, of course being a side effect of having a 7 tailed rhino beetle demon being sealed in her.

"Wow... this is awesome!" Naruko cheered.

Fū smirked, "Newbie flier..." she chuckled.

"Hey, flying isn't exactly a common shinobi skill!" Naruko retorted.

"Really? I've heard that Iwa's Tsuchikage can fly. Without wings no less." Fū commented.

"What sense does that make?! He's the Tsuchikage, shouldn't he like use earth style or something?"

Fū almost dropped Naruko in the sudden spurt of laughter that hit her. Honestly, to her, that was one of the most hilariously stupid comments a person had ever uttered, "Ahahahaha, are you serious? answer me this does your Hokage only use fire style?"

"Well, no... she's actually an over powered medic..." Naruko replied. "But the Sandaime Hokage was said to have know over thousand jutsu. And apparently the Yondaime Hokage was the fastest shinobi who ever lived. Some even argue he was the most powerful shinobi who ever lived."

"Then there you go, a village kage is generally just the strongest shinobi in the village regardless of their idividual talents. You seem to know a fair bit about the Yondaime Hokage though."

"Well... to be honest... He's kind of my idol. The history about our Hokage's was pretty much the only thing in class I paid attention to." Naruko sighed and looked down at the ground passing below her, "I wanted so badly to be the Hokage and prove I wasn't what people said I was."

"Admirable dream, but you can't just give up like that..."

"How can a rogue ninja become the Hokage?!" Naruko said, "No, I have a new dream now... to find out who that man is, why he killed Sakura and why he framed me. Then I'm gonna make him pay and I'll clear my name. Maybe then I can go home and try to be Hokage... if they ever trust me again."

"That's the spirit, Twerp. I'll tell you something that Renzou told me once, 'You have to have hope. Prove to yourself and others what you are. Because what you are can change the world. And if you have hope, then you will burn with the brightest flame and eventually others will be drawn to your light and warmth.' We kinda have to set the example for others." Fū said. Naruko hung on every word. Almost quite literally since she didn't want to plummet to her death. "If we, who are called monsters, have any hope that we can lead them to a better future, then that's what we should do."

"That's pretty deep... Renzou said all that?" Naruko asked.

"Well that is just my own interpretation." The mint-haired girl said, "We're here by the way."

The girl flew down and gently landed before retracting her wings. They stood before a fairly large house with smithy attached to its side.

Fū lead Naruko to the front door and pushed it open. The inside was revealed to be set up in a weapon shop-like fashion.

"Kuja-san! You have customers!" Fū shouted.

The chair behind the counter spun around from its workbench desk and revealed a man in his late 40's. He wore small glasses over his eyes and a graying beard. His blacksmith attire and apron were covered in the dirty signs of his labor.

He looked at the young girls and raised an eyebrow, "You again eh? and you brought a new friend I see..." He said with a rather displeased tone, "What do you want? Takigakure's shipment isn't due to go out for another 3 weeks. I told your village counsel that! I've been having difficulties as of late."

"That's not why we're here, you old ass. We aren't affiliated with our villages anymore. What we are here for is work. And you said you had some difficulties so I'm guessing we're in the right place at the right time."

"Hhmm... Well I was considering requesting for shinobi to aid me." Kuja pondered, "Very well. My problem is that allot of my shipments of materials have been attacked. Five convoy's have gone missing in the mountains that boarder Yu no Kuni and Shimo no Kuni. Shimo no Kuni(1) provides a large amount of my smithing materials. If I can't get those materials I can't make equipment, if I can't make equipment-"

"-You can't make money. Alright, we will find out what it is and stop it. For about twenty five thousand ryo." Fū interrupted him.

His right eye twitched, "Isn't that a bit pricey?"

"Ha, any of the major villages would count this as a potential B or A ranked mission. Which they would want at least thirty thousand ryo for."

"Very well... a small price to pay if it keeps me in business. However you will only get five thousand of it now. The rest when you return... _If_ you return. I need you to rendezvous at a small mining village on the boarder of Shimo, called Koori village, you know the place, you've done this before. They have a caravan of supplies I need you to ensure that it makes her in one piece while also discerning what happen to the rest of my stuff. Preferably putting a stop to it." Kuja explained.

"Alright, That was easy!" Naruko said, "Let's go kick some tail!" She punched her palm eagerly.

Kuja rummaged around under the counter for a moment before sitting back up and tossing a small pouch of money to Fū, "There is your advance pay. Don't disappoint me."

"Ha! Just you watch." Naruko said.

"We'll be back before ya know it." Fū added. She wasn't concerned about any danger. Her and her blond friend were jinchuuriki after all.

The duo departed Kuja's shop and Fū quickly sprouted her wings and lifted Naruko up and took off northward towards Shimo no Kuni.

"So, you know where we are going?" Naruko asked.

"Yeah, already escorted one caravan for him from there a year or so back. Just hang on tight!" Fū ordered and she boosted her speed to maximum.

* * *

Despite the time of night, they weren't phased. They were eager to get the job done and get paid. It was about 3 in the morning by the time they arrived at the village and Fū landed.

It was quiet as a sleeping village should be. The duo quickly found their way to an Inn and rented a room. Much to their discomfort the only one not rented by miners was a room with a single bed. They sucked it up, decided to sleep and then meet up with the caravan at dawn.

Sure enough as the sun started poking out over the horizon, Fū's eye's fluttered open as the sunlight hit them. She yawned and then looked over her body to see Naruko's arm draped over her side. The mint-haired girl blushed slightly at the sight of the sleeping girl.

"_Cute... but questionably awkward._" Fū then gently removed the girls arm from around her body and sat up out of the bed to stretch.

She turned back to the sleeping blond and picked up a pillow before tossing it Naruko, who released a groan.

"Wake up Twerp. We got work to do!" She said rather loudly.

Naruko pulled the pillow off her head and sat on her knees while she rubbed her eyes, "Do we have to..?"

"Yes!"

Naruko groaned and got out of bed. They both re-dressed in what few clothes they took off and departed the inn.

Fū lead the blond through the streets of the village. The murky sky above indicated bad whether on the way. So they hurried to the mining office.

They opened the door and entered. A man sat at his desk going through some piles of paperwork. He looked up at the duo, "The hell are you two? What are you doing here?"

"I'm hurt, you don't recognize me, Nakuri?"

"Ahh... yes, the green haired kunoichi with a spunky attitude. What are you doing here?"

"Kuja-san sent us to solve your missing caravan problem."

"It's about damn time he did something. Just yesterday I heard of a rumor that's been passing around. I think it pertains to our problem." Nakuri replied

"What's the rumor?" Naruko asked.

"Apparently there's been reports of man that wields the god-like power of beasts and is one with them. Some reports write him off as traveler, others write him off as spirit, other say he's not even real. But all the supposed sightings of this man have been directly in the route my caravans have to take to get through the mountains in Yu no Kuni. So if you're here to help I suggest you start in the mountains on Yu no Kuni's side of the boarder." Nakuri explained.

"Alright I guess we're going to back-track a bit." Fū said, "You ready?" She turned to Naruko, who nodded.

With that they departed. Of course Fū flew them back, following the path the caravans would take. So quickly passed back into Yu no Kuni.

Naruko looked up at the girl carrying her, "You think that the man he was talking about is real?"

"Maybe. If he is real, he may very well be a jinchuuriki. God-like power of the beasts huh?"

"Could it be that Toshi guy you mentioned from Renzou's past?"

"T-Toshi? You mean Yoton no Roshi? Maybe. Who knows? It may just be a myth. Here's a village now, we can ask around." Fū said as she brought them down to the village that sat by the road.

They quickly began an inquiry to the people of the small village. Most of what they had to offer in information was the same. Many claimed to see him, some claimed to have only caught a glance. Others say he stalks lone travelers along the road. Some even said he's helped some travelers on the road.

After a few hours, the only thing they were able to garner was the exact area in which he supposedly was. Near a section of the road that lead across the side of the mountain about half way to its peek.

So the duo immediately traveled the short distance to the designated area.

Upon landing in the road the two began to search the areas around themselves.

They ascended the side of the mountain, keeping a wary eye in all directions. Their attention was brought further up the mountain side by a small explosion that echoed out from above.

Naruko and Fūexchanged worried glances, "Well that's something worth looking into." The mint-haired one said before they both took off towards the rising pillar of smoke.

As they ran through the trees that covered the area, they heard noises that were only made by that of a heated battle. A few screams echoed out just before the limp body of a shinobi blasted through the branch of a tree ahead of them. Then the noises stopped.

The duo came to a stop as the body rolled up to their feet. The shinobi was an Iwa ANBU, decked in full attire for said position.

Naruko knelt down next to the shinobi and put her fingers on his throat, "He's a goner..." Naruko said.

"Someone or something is beating the shit out of Iwa ANBU. I for one, am curious to find out whats going on." Fū remarked before they continued forward and up the mountain.

They reached a slightly level plateau section of the mountain side only to see 4 other ANBU laying, scattered about.

One ANBU lay next to a rock, a red armored foot pinning his head to the ground. That foot was connected to a man in heavy red, almost samurai like plate-armor that covered him from head to toe. A strange pack-like object hung from his back. His armor extended all the way up to the bottom half of his face, covering it up. Aside from his red armor, he also wore a red kasa(2) on his head that seemed to be composed of the same material as his armor. White cloth hung from the kasa covering the sides and back of his head and he wore a black sleeveless gi over his armor.

The the red-clad man sat on the rock, comfortably holding the wounded ANBU's head down with his foot. Without even looking at the girls the man was aware of them, "Even more come fight a hopeless battle? When will Ohnoki learn? I just want to be left alone." he sighed before turning to the girls, revealing his dull brown eyes.

"We aren't with these ANBU." Fū answered him.

"If you aren't with them, then go about your own business."

"Except, I think _you_, are our business. We were hired by a merchant whose caravans have gone missing in this area."

"I don't care what your reasons are. Despite these ANBU's efforts, I thought I managed to avoid being framed for those attacks. These ANBU are responsible for that. They were trying to draw me out by pinning the blame on me. Now whether you believe me or not, I suggest you return to where you came from." The man lifted his foot off the ANBU and grabbed him by the hair to lift his head up, "I want you to take a message to Ohnoki; Iwa's ignorant fear drove me from the village and into the wild, and if he sends anymore shinobi after me I will bring the fury of the wild back to Iwa." He said before letting the mans head go and standing up.

"We can't just return. You should hear us out." Naruko said.

"If you leave me be, there will be no further conflict. However... if you pursue me, I will fight you... and I _will_ kill you." He said before steam starting pouring from the edges and joints of his armor. The steam swirled around him consuming him. The steam faded quickly and the man was gone.

"Well this might be a little tougher than I expected..." Fū said, crossing her arms.

"Maybe we can get him to listen." Naruko commented.

"I doubt it... He seems pretty set in his ways." Fū replied.

"Well, I'm going to try. He's another person pushed out of his home. Whether he's Jinchuuriki or not we kind of have an obligation." Naruko said before she began running up the mountain once again.

The mint-haired girl smirked, "I like her spirit, something about her makes me feel happier"

"**_Little larva, I believe you should know, that man was in fact a jinchuuriki. I felt a Bijuu's chakra after that explosion and again just now when he vanished._**" The motherly voice of the Shichibi chimed in finally.

"_Great and I'm sure you can't tell which Bijuu either... At least we outnumber him, right?_"

"**_That is not likely to help. He is much older. He could not only have more experience but he could have greater power then you two, having had more years of training... Tread carefully._**"

Fū nodded and followed after Naruko.

Little did they realize a Venus flytrap-like bulb protrude from one of the trees they were near. It opened up revealing the face of a man inside. One side of his face black and the other, white. "Interesting... _He_ was right. Everything is going according to plan." the man said before vanishing back into the tree.

* * *

**_NEXT CHAPTER:_**

**_Fū and Naruko confront the new Jinchuuriki._**

**_How will the conflict effect their lives?_**

* * *

1.)Shimo no Kuni; Frost Country. Not to be confused with Yuki no Kuni(snow country) from the first Naruto Movie.

2.)Kasa; conical straw hats.

**_Okay I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Can anyone guess what the reference I made in the chapter was? Lets hear your ideas!  
_**

**!ATTENTION ALL READERS WITH SKILLS AS AN ARTIST! I HAVE TRIED TO FIND A PIC OF NARUKO AND FU FOR THIS STORY'S COVER IMAGE, BUT I HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS. IF ONE OF YOU DRAWS UP A WELL DONE, NON-SEXUAL PICTURE OF THE TWO HUGGING, KISSING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT (WITH NARUKO AS I HAVE DESCRIBED HER IN THIS FIC) I WILL USE IT FOR MY COVER IMAGE IF IT FITS MY CRITERIA! SO I ASK YOU, SHARE YOUR DRAWING SKILLS WITH ME AND I SHARE MY WRITING SKILLS WITH YOU LOL!**

**_'Til next time, this Damiad, Signing off from the Void!_**


	4. Han of the Five-Tails

**_LIES, LOVE AND BETRAYAL_**

* * *

**Greetings from The Void!**

**Okay then folks, welcome back. Not much to say except enjoy.**

* * *

**_Chapter 4: Han of the Five-Tails_**

The mid-noon sun hung high in the sky over Konoha. A certain blonde Hokage stood with her hands in her coat pockets, staring at a newly placed grave stone.

Upon the stone there was carved a name. 'Haruno Sakura'.

Tsunade stared emptily at the stone, grinding her teeth. Staring at this grave sickened her. She didn't even know this girl really. Yet her death troubled her more than most deaths she had seen in her 54 years of life. In most circumstances this young girls death would probably have just gone unnoticed by the Godaime Hokage... had the girl that brought Tsunade back to this village not been the one that supposedly killed her.

"Back here, again?" She heard a familiar voice from behind, breaking her out of her trance.

Tsunade turned around to see the legendary Copy-ninja, Hatake Kakashi. His one eye peering at her.

"Yes..." Was all Tsunade said before turning back to the grave.

"You've been coming here allot since they buried her. I appreciate you showing your respects for my student but why does her death bother you so much?" Kakashi asked.

Tsunade closed her eyes and sighed slowly yet heavily, "Because of Uzumaki Naruko... I just don't understand. Why would that girl go to the lengths of bringing me back here to be Hokage only to, days later, turn around and kill her teammate before abandoning the village? Anyway... were you able to track down and retrieve Uchiha Sasuke?"

"I've seen some amazing things. I've seen terrible things and I've seen things that aren't as cut-and-dry as they appear. I've lost all my old teammates. Obitio, Rin... even Minato. Now I've lost all of my students. We couldn't catch Sasuke." Kakashi sighed before turning his gaze to the sky.

"Great..." Tsunade replied sarcastically, "Could his decision to leave be because of what Naruko did?"

Kakashi shook his head slightly, "I doubt it. He was given an opportunity to achieve his goals by Orochimaru, so he took it. Maybe if Naruko was here she could have stopped him. And for the record, I'll never believe, for even a second, that Naruko is who killed Sakura."

"How can you say that? The ANBU SAW her stabbing Sakura! And to top it off she ran. If she was innocent why wouldn't she have stayed here and tried to defend herself against the accusations?" Tsunade turned back to face him once more, "This whole situation disgusts me... something seriously wrong happened that night whatever it was. But the counsel has demanded that we hunt her down and have her put to death. Disturbingly enough they want to extract the Kyuubi from her as her form of execution."

"I know..." Kakashi said before an almost unauthorized chuckle escaped him, "If Minato had heard that he probably would have killed all the counsel members on the spot." Kakashi turned toward the Hokage monument, particularly the carving of the Yondaime Hokage, "_I'm sorry sensei... I just keep letting you down, don't I?_"

"Minato was a good man... Jiraiya trained him well. I can only imagine how Minato would have handled this situation." Tsunade thought aloud.

"I'd be more worried about how Kushina-san would have reacted." Kakashi added, "But like I said, I know for a fact Naruko didn't kill Sakura. She just isn't that kind of person."

"I hope your right Kakashi... I really do."

* * *

Elsewhere...

It had been almost a day since the duo of Naruko and Fū had encountered the red-clad jinchuuriki. They had been scouring the mountain side the whole time for him, leaving no stone unturned.

Fū grabbed her head in frustration, "aghh... where the hell could he have gone?"

"Calm down Fū-san, getting mad won't help us find him." Though she said that, her own irritation was starting to kick in.

"Hold on I'll ask Chōmei if she's noticed anything." Fū said.

"Wait, you talk to the Shichibi?" Naruko whipped her attention to the mint-haired girl.

"Yeah... why? Don't you talk to Kyuubi?"

Naruko shook her head vigorously, "I think MAYBE he has said like four words to me, if even that. I'm kinda grateful, it makes it easier to forget about him." She scratched the top of her head, "I'll tell you one thing though, he sure seems like an ass."

"**_Larva, she is quite correct, when you two were having your little fight earlier I got a chance to speak with my brother for a short moment. He is no longer how I remember him. He has become... reclusive._**"

"Chōmei says she got to talk to Kurama when you and I were fighting. She says he seems to have become 'reclusive'..." Fū explained.

"Kurama?" Naruko asked in confusion.

"Yeah, she said that's his real name."

Naruko looked down to her stomach as if it were the said Bijuu, "hhm Kurama huh?" Just then she gripped her head as if in pain and dropped to her knees.

"_**DON'T YOU DARE UTTER MY NAME FROM YOUR MISERABLE LIPS! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO SPEAK IT!**_" a thunderous voice of wrath and fury pounded in her head like a sledgehammer.

"Naruko?!" Fū panicked as she knelt down next to the blond. "Are you okay?!"

"He's... screaming in my head! ahh... god it's so loud!" Naruko writhed in pain on the ground as red chakra began to leak out of her, if only a bit.

"_**ONLY ONE HUMAN EVER HAD THE RIGHT TO SPEAK MY NAME AND YOU ARE. NOT. HIM!**_"

"Chō-chan, what's going on, what do I do?" Fū asked her tenant frantically.

"**_I do not know, but I have an idea, try holding her. I will attempt to calm my brother!_**" The girl did as the Shichibi ordered and gripped Naruko's shoulders tight, trying to hold her still.

The Shichibi found itself in the black empty void once again, except this time, there were no cages and a furious Kurama roared, his chakra blasting upwards, mere feet away from her.

"**KURAMA PLEASE STOP! YOUR HURTING HER!**"

"**YOU THINK I CARE!? THIS WRETCHED HUMAN WENCH HAS NO RIGHT TO SPEAK MY NAME!**" Kurama directed his eyes to Chōmei, "**Don't you get it, little sister? Humans despise us, why do you still seek to protect them after all these years?! Haven't you learned they hate and fear us because we are strong. If they had a way to kill us they would have done so already!**"

"**They have good right to hate and fear us! Despite our self control, sometimes the remnants of our evil progenitor still take hold of us and we cause destruction. I believe father created us in hopes that we would learn from Humans and that they would learn from us. That we learn to have the control humans can have, and they would learn from us that even a great dark power can still benefit the world.**"

"**You are delusional sister... Neither humans nor Bijuu have lived up to that, and they never will... Especially since father is gone. The girl will have to earn the right to speak my name. And I don't hold any hope that she ever will. Now... Begone from here.**"

Naruko stopped writhing in pain and opened her eyes, the first thing she saw being the relieved look on Fū's face. "Are you okay?"

The blond nodded and sat up, the pain gone... as if it were never there, "Wow! That was a new experience."

"I even felt his hatred... it was terrifying, I was afraid you were gonna transform into him and go on a rampage." Fū said, "You good to keep looking for that other Jinchuuriki?"

Naruko nodded as she stood up and brushed herself off, "Let's go."

With that they resumed their search of the mountain side. They were about 3 quarters of the way to the top when the incline evened out a bit to a hill top before the steep rise of the rest of the mountain.

The girls came to a stop and had to awe at the beauty of this particular spot, lush plant life covered the area. Colorful flowers, vibrant moss covered tree's and fruit-baring bushes.

"Okay. This is a nice little spot..." Fū said.

"Yeah.." Naruko took a step forward.

"I warned you two yesterday... but I guess my warning fell on deaf ears." The heard from above and they looked up into a large tree to their 2 o'clock. Sure enough there sat the red-clan man on a thick branch, his hand held gently in front of him, a small bird perched on his finger. The tiny creature pecked at a handful of seeds in the mans other hand.

"Listen we aren't here to fight... we just want to talk." Naruko said as she took a few cautious steps towards the tree.

"I have nothing to speak to you about..." the man said as he observed the feeding bird on his finger, "I prefer the tranquility of an animals silence to the annoying drabble of humans."

"The rumors said you were one with the animals... why would you prefer them over humans?" Fū asked.

"Because animals don't judge you. They accept you for what you are. To them you're either another animal, food or a predator. They act accordingly. Humans can't say that about themselves." The man said before gently pushed his hand out and the bird flew off his finger. He then dropped from the branch and landed on the ground, "I'll ask you one last time. Leave now. I want nothing to do with you. Don't make me hurt you."

"I don't get the sense that you are the type to hurt people for no reason." Naruko said.

"You're right... but if I hurt you it wont be for no reason... is solitude too much to ask for?" The man said.

"Yes, especially since you don't have to be alone." Naruko replied.

"What do you want from me? Why do you persist? If you had any idea who or what I was you would either run or try to kill me." The man said.

"I know that you are a jinchuuriki..." Fū stated.

This seemed to throw the man off a bit, "Oh and you still choose to confront me after my warnings? You're either stupid or suicidal."

Naruko held her hand out to the man, "I'm Uzumaki Naruko. What's your name?" She asked, ignoring his previous comment.

"What significance would my name hold to you? I have no intention of carrying this farce on any longer. Last chance; leave or face the consequences."

Naruko frowned and Fū sighed, "Come on Naruko, forget this guy. I told you he was too set in his ways to listen to us."

The man nodded and took a few steps away and turned back to them, then he looked up as if he noticed something, "I know what I'm doing Kokuo." he faced the duo again, "You want to know what you're getting into?" He said before he formed the Tora hand sign and suddenly a pulse of red chakra rippled outwards.

His body vanished among the black and red chakra that consumed him, his spine bending as he went to all fours, horns started forming out of his head. A jagged tooth mouth appeared on his face as 5 tails of chakra appeared behind him, lashing about, "**Do you see? This is what you are trying to communicate with! I am Jinchuuriki! I am Han no Gobi!**"

Naruko jumped back a bit and looked at Fū who nodded. The mint-haired girl quickly sprouted four of her wings and became covered in red chakra, her appearance becoming feral, "**You don't scare us... We are jinchuuriki too!**"

Han's eyes widened a bit then he smirked, rather evilly, "**Oh? Now the reason for your fixation is clear. But why does she not bare her cloak?**"

"I don't have that kind of control over it." Naruko explained.

"**Because you reject your true nature. You do not embrace the power of the Bijuu.**" Han answered.

"More like he rejects me." Naruko scratched the back of her head, "Now that we have established what we all are, can we talk?"

Han stood back up and his body twitched and shook as the chakra around him began to recede. The red chakra was pulled into an intricate seal on the back of his left hand before it faded completely.

The man turned his attention back to them, "I don't really care if your jinchuuriki as well... I still have nothing to speak with you about."

Han turned his head to the right as if to look at an invisible friend, "...But why? What could they possibly have to offer us, old friend?"

Fū retracted her cloak of chakra and her wings as Naruko turned to her, "I don't think he's all there mentally." The blond remarked quietly.

"I think he's talking to his Bijuu." Fū commented.

Han continued speaking with the unseen being, "Why? Just to indulge in nostalgia?" He said. A few seconds later he rolled his eyes, "Fine..."

The man turned his attention back to the girls, "I'll tell you what... If you can inflict some manner of pain on me within the next ten minutes I will hear you out."

"Wait... what is that supposed to mean?" Naruko asked.

"Exactly as it sounds... We will fight. If you can inflict pain on me, no matter how small, I will hear what you have to say. You have ten minutes... I recommend you fight with intent to kill." Han said before two tails appeared behind him once more as boiling red chakra covered him.

**-Refer to Song 1 in my profile-**

Fū was already taking him up on the challenge as she flew in with her wings out.

Han drove one fist into the ground in front of him, then the other. With both hands buried he began to pull back up, fissures tore through the ground as a massive length of rock and earth began to rip from the ground.

Naruko and Fū could only gawk as Han's massive display of physical power pulled the large mass out of the ground, "Oh you have got to kidding me!" Fū barked just before Han stepped forward and slammed the chunk of earth into the mint-haired girl female like a baseball bat, sending her flying down the side of the mountain.

Naruko's jaw dropped as she watched her friend fly past her down the mountain. She didn't have time to even make a remark as Han had already raised the massive slab of earth up and slammed it directly down on top of her. A thunderous boom was heard as the slab broke apart upon impact.

Han stood back up and wiped his hands together, "That takes care of them..." He said before turning back around and letting his chakra fade away.

Han stopped in his tracks the second he felt a pulse of Bijuu chakra, then another one. He turned back around to see a red chakra cloaked Fū flying in at high speeds. Naruko jumped out of the debris with one tail of chakra formed.

Fū reached maximum speed and crossed her forearms in front of herself, prepared to ram into her opponent. Han quickly reformed two tails and held his palm out to Fū who slammed into his hand and came to a complete stop instantly. Han's arm barely wavered at the impact. The large man quickly grabbed her forearm tight in his hand before spinning around and throwing the girl at Naruko who was charging on all fours at him.

Naruko collided with Fū and they both were sent rolling down the mountain a bit. Han however was far from finished as he formed the Tora hand sign once again, "You're not weak... but you aren't strong enough to face me!" He said before a large cloud of smoke erupted from around himself.

Suddenly a massive white, horned horse-like beast blasted out of the smoke charging down the mountain at the girls. It's five tails trailing behind it. It was about the size of a house. It opened its mouth and shot several chakra bullets from its mouth at its intended victims.

Fū thought fast and picked Naruko up and flew high above as the bullets collided with ground where they were standing.

"My god, I can't believe he can turn into his Bijuu at will!" Fū remarked,

"Can't you do that too?"

"No..." the mint-haired girl replied curtly, "I think we are in trouble."

"_**Little Larva, Look out that's Kokuo, the Gobi! He's the third strongest of all the Bijuu!**_"

The Gobi launched itself into the sky with one mighty bound as if to chance the girls. Fū quickly ascended even higher to get out of its reach. She succeed as the Bijuu reached the apex of its leap and began to fall back down, but with focused bursts of chakra into its hooves it seemed to step on the air itself and launched even higher.

The girls could only watch as the beast quickly ascended past them and rose its hoof above them before bringing it down on them with massive force. Fūbarely had time to throw Naruko out of danger before the hoof slammed into her and took her straight back down into the mountain with all of the beasts weight on top of her.

The mountain shook from the impact. Fissures tore out through the ground and a crater formed instantly.

Naruko landed in a tree and looked on as the pulse of air released from the impact hit her, shaking the trees with ease.

"Fū!" Naruko called out before dashing forward at the Gobi. She formed a clone next to her that helped to form a Rasengan in her hand.

The blonde launched up and reared her attack back as she came in range. Kokuo merely spun around and smacked her away with his tails, sending her up and into the mountain side. The Bijuu turned back to see Fū fly out of the crater now completely covered in red and black chakra.

She dashed in at the Gobi who met her with a a swipe of his massive horns that sent her back down into the ground. The Beast reared its fronts legs high into the air in a classic horse-like fashion before coming back down and charging straight at Fū with its horns ready.

The Gobi was halted in its tracks suddenly, it turned its head behind itself to see that a two tailed Naruko was holding one of his tails tight. Kokuo narrowed his eyes and quickly lifted the girl off the ground with its tail and flicked her off sending her through the air.

It turned back towards Fū and continued its dash at her. The mint haired girl had just corrected herself in mid-air before looking to the sky. Particles of blue and red chakra started gathering into a tightly condensed sphere above her mouth. The black orb of pure chakra reached its full size, "**Bijuu Dama!**" She shouted before blasting the orb at the charging Bijuu.

Kokuo simply jumped over the attack as if it were a mere hurtle before its horns collided with Fū. Once again sending her flying through the air.

Kokuo then noticed he never felt the Tailed beast bomb explode behind him and he turned to face back up the mountain where Naruko was holding the attack with her arms of chakra before she threw it right back at Kokuo.

The Gobi opened his mouth and formed his own Bijuu Dama which it released. The attacks collided and a mighty explosion rippled out.

Naruko then had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing the beast charge through the smoke towards her, in full gallop.

The blond formed a large number of clones that dived at the Bijuu in hopes of stopping it. This however was futile as the beast simply plowed through them all like they weren't even there. The beast drove its horns at Naruko who jumped to the side to avoid them.

Kokuo struggled for a second to pull its horns out of the rock face. Once it succeeded Naruko was already on the attack, an attack that was quelled when the Bijuu raised one of its front hooves and slammed it down releasing a shockwave of chakra that sent Naruko rolling back.

The beast then rear-kicked behind itself, hitting Fū who had attempted to sneak up on him. He quickly whirled around before Fū could be sent far and slammed its front hoof down on top of her once again. It pinned her to ground and continued to increase the pressure in which it placed on it placed on her.

The cracks in the ground spread out as it attempted to flatten this 'bug'. Fū was struggling to keep from becoming a stain on the ground, her chakra blasting out to counter the crushing affects."

Suddenly Kokuo was surround by dozens of Naruko's jumping up from all around him. He began, one by one, dispatching them with either swipes of its tails or chakra bullets released from its mouth. However the swarm seemed to come continuously.

With this rather large annoyance now surrounding him, and his front hoof preoccupied with a victim he began to form a large Bijuu Dama above him that started firing chakra bullets in all directions to destroy the clones. Now satisfied with their lack of further interference it was ready to finish off the unfortunate creature beneath its hoof.

Just as it began to pump chakra into its hoof to crush Fū, seven arms of chakra extended out from beneath its hoof and wrapped around its leg and eventually its whole body. The Bijuu began to thrash about in an attempt to free itself.

"Naruko, NOW!" Fū shouted. With that cue, Naruko Launched out of a near by tree with a massive Rasengan in her hand, "Odama Rasengan!" The blond shouted just before slamming the large sphere into the side of Kokuo's face. It began twisting his flesh from the friction.

Kokuo's neck and head began to give way to the force, when suddenly he pushed his head back into the attack and sent Naruko flipping through the air. At the same time he released a pulse of chakra from his body that dissolved the chakra arms binding him.

Naruko landed on the ground, kyuubi's chakra faded from around her and the Gobi loomed over her. It brought its head down near her level and inspected her. The side of his face obviously damaged, "**Impressive... You actually managed to hurt me a little. You have my brother to thank for that no doubt...**" The beast said calmly before it vanished in a pop of smoke. When the smoke cleared Han calmly stood there with his hand in his gi.

Fū sat up from her crater holding her head. Her Bijuu chakra had faded and she was quite dizzy, "I feel like I was just used as a ping pong ball..."

Naruko chuckled, "That's cause we kinda were ping pong balls there for a minute."

Han merely looked at the girls, "_I can't believe they managed to hurt you Kokuo._"

"_**Nor I. But none the less, they succeeded.**_" Kokuo replied.

Han watched as the two girls made sure they were both okay, "_I just have two questions for you, this little challenge was your idea after all. Why did you want me converse with these girls?_"

"**There is something different about them. And they have my siblings sealed with in them. I think you should at least hear them out before you dismiss them.**"

"_hmm... okay on to my second question. Why did you go easy on them?_"

"_**Because I didn't want to snuff them out before seeing their symbiosis with my siblings. The green haired girl houses Shichibi no Chōmei. And the blond holds within her, Kurama... the Kyuubi.**_"

Han nodded before speaking aloud again, "Very well." He said. Naruko and Fū looked at him, "I'm a man of my word. I'll hear you out. What is it you have to say to me?" He asked.

* * *

_**NEXT CHAPTER:**_

_**The duo attempt to convince Han to join up with them.**_

_**How will he respond to them?**_

* * *

**_Alrighty then folks there was chapter 4. Hope you enjoyed! Review please! _**

**!ATTENTION ALL READERS WITH SKILLS AS AN ARTIST! I HAVE TRIED TO FIND A PIC OF NARUKO AND FU FOR THIS STORY'S COVER IMAGE, BUT I HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS. IF ONE OF YOU DRAWS UP A WELL DONE, NON-SEXUAL PICTURE OF THE TWO HUGGING, KISSING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT (WITH NARUKO AS I HAVE DESCRIBED HER IN THIS FIC) I WILL USE IT FOR MY COVER IMAGE IF IT FITS MY CRITERIA! SO I ASK YOU, SHARE YOUR DRAWING SKILLS WITH ME AND I SHARE MY WRITING SKILLS WITH YOU LOL!**

**'_Til next time, this Damiad, signing off from The Void!_**


	5. To Know Another

**_LIES, LOVE AND BETRAYAL_**

* * *

**Greetings from the Void!  
**

**Here's a little 4th of July present for you all! Happy independence day(To those who celebrate it.)**

**Lol I'm noticing a pattern with the fan basis of this fic :P Well Here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

_**Chapter 5: To Know Another.**_

2 Months Earlier...

Naruko fell to her back, panting. Dirtied, tired and sore. She resolved it a good bit of training, "Well... probably should head home... gotta meet Sakura-san still."

The blond sat up and darted towards her home. She was kinda eager to see if Tsunade would take Sakura as a student.

Naruko soon reached her apartment and looked up, noticing the lights were on. She stopped in her tracks, "_Did Sakura get there? Did I leave my door unlocked again?!_"

Naruko began walking up the stairs to her door when she heard a scream and a loud crash echo from inside her home, "Sakura?!" She darted to the door as the lights inside turned off.

She slammed the door open and found her living room table had been smashed. Sakura laying on top of the debris, gasping for air, a bloody wound on her chest. A person stood over her, covered by the shadows, holding a kunai dripping with blood. The person turned to Naruko, who was in shock at what she saw... the sheer suddenness, topped with the cruelty and terrible image before her left Naruko frozen, her teeth beginning to grind.

"Ah, she returns home." The stranger said.

She could feel an aura unlike anything she felt before. A pressure on her body that began to make her knee's tremble, "Wh-who are you?"

The man paused for a second, "You could say... I knew your parents."

Naruko looked back at Sakura, then to the stranger, "Wh-what did you do?"

The man chuckled slightly. Naruko's rage began to over power her fear, and she formed a shadow clone, who quickly helped her mold a Rasengan in her hand, "I'LL KILL YOU!" she shouted as she dashed at the man and drove her attack at him.

The desire she felt for his death was not realized though, as her Rasengan and her whole body, phased through the stranger, who merely took a few steps towards the door as Naruko canceled her jutsu and turned around.

The man turned to her, the light revealing a mask with lines on it and one circular eye hole on the right side, this also revealed his black cloak with red clouds on it. _Akatsuki_, "The question that should be asked is, what did _you_ do?" He said as he tossed the kunai at her lazily and she, by reflex, caught it.

Before Naruko could say another word the man seemed to vanish into a vortex emitting from his right eye.

Naruko dropped the blade to the ground and knelt down next to Sakura who was still gasping for air. But blood poured from her mouth and the wound in her chest. Naruko was desperately attempting to stop the bleeding, "Nar-Naruko..." Sakura managed to choke out, coughing blood onto Naruko.

Then Naruko noticed something in Sakura's eyes, they had the same markings as Sasuke's Sharingan. As much as she wondered why they were in her eyes she was more concerned with her friends life.

"Sakura-san, Hang in there I'm gonna get you to the hospital!" Naruko said desperately.

"N-Naruko... I... I can't br-breathe..." She grabbed the blonds arms tight in her pain, digging her nails into her skin, enough to draw blood, Then scratched at her face and neck. "It hu-hurts... Naruko... Stop...pl-please." Sakura's eyes went dull and her desperate attempts to breathe ceased... and Finally her grip released.

"Sakura-san! Sakura!" Naruko's eyes couldn't fight back the tears that began gushing out, "SAKURA!"

* * *

Moments earlier, Elsewhere...

The rain poured heavily, drenching Kirigakure in its relentless embrace. Most of its people were indoors for the night. However there was a 3 man ANBU team that were running along the roof tops towards the central building. They jumped down from the roofs and landed in front of the entrance to the building.

The lead ANBU turned to face the other two, "You guys can just go back to the ANBU building. I'll worry about delivering the report."

The others nodded then shunshinned away, they couldn't say that they weren't relieved by this. The lead ANBU sighed heavily and then turned to enter the building.

Only two men occupied the main office on the top floor. One stood next to the door leaning his back against the wall. He wore the classic Kirigakure shinobi armor.

The other stood on the opposite side of the room staring out the massive window. His arms crossed. The two heard a knock at the door.

"Enter." The man by the window said. With that, the door swung open and the lead ANBU walked in and bowed, "Yagura-sama, I have the operations report." He said

The man didn't even avert his gaze from the window, "and..?"

The ANBU walked up to the mans side, "We report that all members of Houzuki clan have been hunted down and eliminated..." The ANBU trailed off with a slight gulp, "Except..."

The man know as Yagura, scowled, "...except... _what_?"

"Except, Houzuki Suigetsu. He managed to evade us." The ANBU reluctantly said.

"hmm... very well. I expected no less from him. He will be disposed of in due time." Yagura responded.

The ANBU was shocked to hear this from the Yondaime Mizukage, "What are your orders, Yagura-sama?"

"I want you to-AGGHHH!" Yagura released a bellow of pain as he gripped his chest, and braced himself on the window with his other hand. Images of a blood covered blond and a dying pink haired girl flooded his mind, with a torrent of powerful emotions in their wake.

"Y-Yagura-sama? What's wrong?" The ANBU asked then he noticed the other man in the room was gripping his chest and breathing heavily as well.

"So... much pain..." Yagura panted out, this caused him to release an unnoticeable burst of chakra that cracked and shattered the glass window, letting the elements into the office. "Someones suffering-I can feel it. Heheh... hehehaha." He started laughing sadistically, a twisted grin crossing his lips, "So much fear... and suffering..."

"What is going on Yagura-sama?" The ANBU asked.

"Let us spread that fear and suffering..." Yagura said calmly, despite his dark grin. The Yondaime Mizukage looked at the ANBU and put his hand on his shoulder, then moved it to press his fingers against the side of the ANBU's masked face. Suddenly water seemed to spawn from his fingers and quickly engulfed the ANBU's head.

The ANBU grunted and gurgled, trying to speak but the water surrounding his head prevented it. Bubbles were the only sign that the man was trying to talk.

The young man by the door to the office, ceased his heavy panting and looked at Yagura, His face plagued with a disapproving look for the actions of his Kage.

The ANBU dropped to his knee's, no longer strong enough to hold himself up. His failed attempts to plead for his life were inaudible through the layer of water.

Yagura finally faced his victim, a sinister grin on his face. With one firm push of his wrist the ANBU's head snapped to the right, his neck broken. The little force that was applied was enough to push the limp body out of the broken window, where it plummeted to the ground. With a sickening thud, the deed was done.

Yagura peeked out the window and looked down at the man that was once his subordinate, "That was for failing to eliminate Suigetsu by the way..." He grinned evilly.

The other man in the room turned his gaze away from the Mizukage, "hmph..." he gnashed his teeth.

Yagura sighed with relief and combed his fingers through his hair, composing himself, "Utakata." He said.

The other man in the room, turned his sickened gaze back to the Mizukage who had yet to turn away from the window, "...Yes, Yagura... _sama?_" his detest emphasizing the suffix.

"I want you to take a small detachment of two ANBU, hunt down Suigetsu and bring me his head. Oh and before you go, send a detail to clean up this mess."

Utakata simply scowled and looked away, "Yes, sir." He complied before walking out of the room.

After the door closed, Yagura gripped his chest and chuckled slightly, "You felt that too, didn't you, Isobu?"

* * *

Present day...

"Very well." Han said. Naruko and Fū looked at him, "I'm a man of my word. I'll hear you out. What is it you have to say to me?" He asked.

"Well, we just wanted to get to know you." Naruko said as she stood up.

"Speak for yourself." Fū chuckled slightly.

"Hey, he's like we are, doesn't that mean _something_ to you?" The blond replied.

Fū playfully ground her fist into the top of Naruko's head, "I think your reach exceeds your grasp."

Naruko blushed and crossed her arms, her lips pursed with annoyance, "Shut up."

The mint-haired girl could only giggle. Han stared blankly at the girls before grabbing the bridge of his kasa and removing it from his head. This revealed his short, black spiky hair, which he promptly ran his fingers through, "I am so confused." he sighed.

Naruko turned her attention back to Han, "About what?"

"You go through the trouble of pestering me, I finally agree to listen, and when I do, you two are conflicted on the subject. Neither of you has a clue what you're doing, do you?" Han asked as he repositioned the armored kasa atop his head.

"Hey, we just want to be your friends." Naruko said as she walked up and held her hand out to him.

He raised a cautious brow, "To what end? What do you possibly stand to gain?"

"Does everything have to have a reason or a grand outcome with you?" Naruko asked, getting a little frustrated.

"Yes!" Naruko heard both Han and Fū retort.

"See? Even your friend agrees. People in this world don't just do things out of the kindness of their hearts. There is always something for them to gain." Han added.

"He's kinda got a point twerp." Fū concurred.

Naruko's eye brow twitched, "Then why the hell did you stick around with me? I don't have any payment to offer you."

"Hey I stuck with you 'cause we were both in a bad situation and have a better chance of surviving if we worked together. For a little bit, at least." Fū defended herself.

"**_Do not lie little larva. I know that is but the smallest reason you have stuck with her. You're utterly fascinated by this girl aren't you?_**"

Fū's eye twitched and her face lit up with an almost unnoticeable blush. She wouldn't ever admit this to anyone, but her Bijuu was correct. For some reason she really _was_ fascinated by Naruko. Something about her spirit made Fū wish to know her better. To try and understand how that brain of hers works, "_Quiet you..._" she inwardly retorted to Chōmei.

"Okay. Say I do not wish to be your friend; Will you respect my wishes and leave me alone?" Han asked.

Naruko slouched over and sighed, "If that's what you really want, then yeah, I guess we have no choice. We can't force you."

"But why would you wish to be my friend? Being jinchuuriki is the only thing we have in common. It seems rather foolish to have camaraderie based solely on that fact." Han inquired.

"Fine if that's the only way you can see the world, then yes I _DO_ have something to gain from it. I'd have a new friend, and none of us would have to face the world alone!" Naruko beamed a grin as she directed her thumb to herself, "Not only that, but imagine what three jinchuuriki could accomplish?"

Han fought back the urge to chuckle, "_And there it is. This silver-tongued munchkin actually turned my view of the world against me. I can tell she doesn't really intend to gain anything, yet she lied because its what I expected to hear._"

"**_Han, If I didn't know any better I'd say you were almost impressed with this child._**" Kokuo echoed his thoughts to his vessel.

"_Almost my friend, almost. I'll give this concept a chance. If they betray me or it turns south I could always just kill them and or leave._" He thought, then spoke aloud once again, "Alright! I'll give this ideal of yours a chance. I can lend you my power and see where it leads. Lord knows, you two munchkins could use the help." He said before chuckling.

"R-Really?" Naruko stuttered, "I was beginning to think you wouldn't change your mind."

"Wow... I thought for sure he was gonna try and kill us again if you kept pushing it, Naruko-san." Fū said before releasing a sigh of relief.

"Kokuo and I weren't trying to kill you. If we were, you would have been dead the second after the fight began. Both of you have much to learn." Han said nonchalantly.

"So then teach us!" Naruko grinned as she locked her hands together behind her back.

Han paused for a few seconds before a bellow of laughter escaped him as he leaned over."Ahahaha-Hahahaha! You must be kidding! I said I would help you, not teach you!"

Both girls' faces sank, "You don't have to be a dick about it..." Fū mumbled.

Han took a deep breath and calmed himself, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. I just find the idea of me being a sensei rather hilarious."

"Why do you think its funny?" Naruko asked.

"Because I tried it once and was a miserable failure." Han chuckled, as he put his hand into his gi and let it rest lazily.

"So you wont teach us?" Naruko asked with a disappointed tone, her eyeballs growing wide as tear built up in the corners of her eyelids.

Han's eye began to twitch, "H-Hey now, wait a second here. Don't cry. Th-That's not fair." he said but she began to whimper. He tried to resist but eventually face palmed and let out a sigh, "Fine, I supposed I can give you a few pointers here and there on your Taijutsu and Bijuu-based abilities."

Naruko's teary expression vanished in a second and she jumped up in the air, "Yatta! Wait. Why only Taijutsu?"

"Because both of you guys have absolutely terrible and sloppy Taijutsu. And because that's the area I excel at." Han explained.

"Yes but you have an absurd level of strength, even by my standards." Fū commented.

"I'll still take you on! I want to get-" Naruko was interrupted when she suddenly found herself laying with all her weight on her neck and shoulders, her legs hanging over her and both her arms in a chicken wing behind her back. Han's large hand easily held both her forearms together.

The unseen maneuver left Fū with wide eyes and a terrified look. She turned to her left to see Han standing back up letting a stunned Naruko roll to her side. Steam pulsed from the joints of Han's armor like he were a machine.

Naruko clasped her hands around the large lump, now on her head, "Ouch-ouch-ouch, ah that hurt! The hell was that for?"

Han put his hand back into his gi, "You said you wanted to take me on, this is the result."

"I didn't mean right this second!" Naruko stood up rubbing her head.

Fū looked at Han, her knees shaking with fear. He turned to her with a raised brow, is something wrong?" He asked.

"I... Couldn't e-even see you move. That's impossible." She was damn fast, and could keep up with blinding speeds, but she couldn't believe that she didn't see his movements. One second he's standing in front of the two a few feet away, then she literally blinked and Naruko was downed.

"Impossible? Hardly. My physical attributes are impressive on their own but I can generate intense, overwhelming speed in short bursts with the aid of my armor. The same goes for my strength." Han explained.

"How does your armor do that?" Naruko's eyes lit up as she got in close to inspect the armor, "That's so cool!"

Han immediately grew uncomfortable, so he pressed his index finger into her forehead and with his great strength pushed her rigid frame back, "My armor generates steam that empowers me." He ignored Naruko and continued, "Kind of like a second layering of muscle. Have you ever heard of the Eight Inner Gates?"

"Hey, yeah, Bushy-Brow's used that in chunin exams!" Naruko recalled as she rose her index finger.

Han stared blankly at her, "B-Bushy-Brow?"

"Oh right sorry, his names Rock-Lee. It really messed his body up though." Naruko added.

"Well that's the point of my armor here. I can generate the same kind of power and speed as the inner gates without the strain on my body." Han explained.

"Hey isn't that like, cheating, or something?" Fū asked as she crossed her arms.

"No. It's just another weapon." Han said before pointing at the mint haired girl, "What is your name, anyways?"

"Fū."

"No Family Name?" He questioned.

"Not that I know of. If anything, I guess I'd go with Kuken Fū. But just Fū is perfectly fine." The girl glared at Han.

"So if I'm going to be teaming up with you, what is it exactly I'm helping with?" he questioned as he turned to Naruko.

"I, umm, actually don't know. Look for shinobi based work I guess." The blond shrugged. Han face-palmed once again.

"Wait a second, let me get this straight, you don't even have a plan?" He sighed.

"Well we do still got to report to Kuja and guide his shipment still. We should get a nice chunk of change for that. We can worry about what to do after that." Fū said.

"Sound like a plan!" Naruko said

"Let's get going I guess." Han said, before turning his thoughts inward, "_What have you talked me into this time, Kokuo?_"

"**_If nothing else, it will provide me with amusement, heheheh._**"

* * *

Kuja sat at his workbench, sharpening the blade of a curved kunai on a grindstone. The tip of his tongue poked out of his mouth as he focused intently on his work. To him every single spark that flew off the metal of the blade meant the difference between a fine blade, a decent blade, and a terrible blade. The ladder two, of which, were unacceptable to him.

Consumed by his work, as he often was, he didn't notice the knocking at the door. However he did notice, the door burst open and Fū's voice, "Hey Kuja-san! We're BACK!" she called out into the shop, as Naruko, Han and a merchant entered behind her.

Kuja flinched from the jarring disturbance, tossing the kunai into the air in reaction, "Ahh!" He panicked and fumbled with the blade before regaining a safe grip on it, and sighing with relief before turning to the group, "DON'T INTERRUPT ME LIKE THAT!"

Fū ignored him and gave him a thumbs up and a grin, "Mission accomplished!" She declared.

The merchant walked up to Kuja with a clip-board and pen, "Hello Kuja-san, Thank you for the escorts. I don't believe we will be having any more trouble." He bowed.

Kuja took the clip board, "It needed to be done. It was a growing pain for us both." Kuja said as he signed the paper and handed it back to the man, "My wife should be at the stables with your caravan, you can collect the payment from her."

"Understood." The merchant said before excusing himself.

Fū approached the counter, "okay so here's the mission report; we-" Kuja stopped her by raising his hand, "I do not care about the details."

"Why not?" Naruko asked.

"It's none of my concern how you go about you business as long as I get my shipments." Kuja said before reaching under the counter. He pulled out two large sacks and tossed them to the girls feet, "Sorry. I divided it evenly amongst two people. Didn't know you had Gargantuan here, in toe."

Flames of rage, practically spewed from Han's head and he approached the counter, "What did you call me?" He asked commandingly.

"Oh I am sorry, could you not hear me from all the way up there?" Kuja retorted, throwing in a glare.

Han clinched his fist tight and a bit of steam began to pour from the joints of his arm. Naruko grabbed his arm, "Easy there killer. Don't do it." The blond turned back to Kuja, ready to apologize for Han. She then noticed a shocked look on Kuja's face, his jaw agape.

"I don't believe it..." Kuja muttered.

"Don't believe what? That a small girl is the only thing keeping me from compressing your head into your shoulders?" Han asked angrily.

"The Steam Armor. You actually have it-That means..." Kuja said

"You know of my Steam Armor? How?" Han questioned the man.

"I would certainly hope so. I helped my brother design it." Kuja answered sternly.

* * *

**_NEXT CHAPTER:_**

**_Kuja give's the Three Jinshuuriki a lead._**

**_Will it be as profitable as Kuja claims?_**

* * *

**_Happy Independence Day! Hope you enjoyed. _**

**__****!ATTENTION ALL READERS WITH SKILLS AS AN ARTIST! I HAVE TRIED TO FIND A PIC OF NARUKO AND FU FOR THIS STORY'S COVER IMAGE, BUT I HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS. IF ONE OF YOU DRAWS UP A WELL DONE, NON-SEXUAL PICTURE OF THE TWO HUGGING, KISSING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT (WITH NARUKO AS I HAVE DESCRIBED HER IN THIS FIC) I WILL USE IT FOR MY COVER IMAGE IF IT FITS MY CRITERIA! SO I ASK YOU, SHARE YOUR DRAWING SKILLS WITH ME AND I'll SHARE MY WRITING SKILLS WITH YOU LOL!**

**__****'Til next time, this is Damiad, signing of from The Void!**


	6. Toxin

_**LIES LOVE AND BETRAYAL**_

* * *

**Greetings from the void!**

**Well just want to apologize for the wait, had a bit of writers block slowing me down but I'm pleased with what I've got in store for you all. Enjoy**

* * *

**_Chapter 6: Toxin_**

"The hell do you mean you helped your brother design the steam armor?!" Han retorted as he leaned over the counter top that separated him and the craftsmen known as Kuja.

"So you're not only deaf, you're stupid too?" Kuja replied curtly, "I mean just what I said. The man who gave you that armor was named, Yoshimaru, right?"

"Yes, and with the money I had to pay him I could have purchased a whole village."

Kuja stroked his bearded chin, "Sounds like my family, alright. I didn't think he'd ever actually manage to perfect it. How did he overcome the water-to-heat-to-pressure ratio problem we were having?"

"Well, when the self contained furnace wasn't exploding or melting the best ratio he discovered was 2-2-1. But even that wasn't stable enough. He managed to make it work by only having the furnace preforming one of the tasks, in this case; heat. Then its was up to the user to incorporate water element only when needed. It allows for less stress on the furnace and optimal control of the produced steam." Han explained with a rather long winded reply.

Naruko and Fū, who stood just a few steps away, were not only feeling left out on this conversation but even Fū was beginning to feel stupid. She didn't like that one little bit.

Kuja nodded, absorbing the information, "hhmm I can't believe we didn't think of that sooner. Probably because we were trying to make an armor that could make a common man as dangerous as the strongest shinobi. Guess he just compromised with an armor that made shinobi even stronger. He always was one for... compromises." he said.

"Well as lovely as it is to be left completely out of the conversation at hand, I have a question for you Kuja" Fū suddenly jumped in.

Kuja directed his attention to the mint-haired girl, "Oh? and what would that be?"

"Do you know of any places we might be able to find more work?" Fū questioned.

The craftsmen tapped his chin before turning to Han, "Yoshimaru is still alive isn't he?"

Han nodded, "Last time I saw him he said he was going to the Tsuru no Kuni(Vine Country). That was a little over a year ago though."

Kuja nodded, "hhmmm I suppose I could try burying the hatchet with my little brother." He said before pulling out a piece of paper and pen. He began to write on the paper and after a few minutes he folded it up and sealed it inside of an envelope before handing it to Fū.

"Am I to assume you want us to hunt him down and give that note to him?" Han asked as he pointed to the letter.

"Yes" Kuja said before pulling another pouch of money out of seemingly nowhere and handed it to them, "His full name is Takata Yoshimaru. He's likely established himself as some manor of merchant in Tsuru.

"Alright then!" Naruko finally spoke up again.

"Deliver a message, simple enough." Fū said.

"Yeah... what's the worst that could happen?" Naruko asked as she shrugged.

* * *

Six days had passed since the Jinchuuriki had left Kuja's establishment for the valley country. And this was a trip that-in order to avoid Naruko's capture-they had to trek their way north west_around_ the fire country. After leaving Yu no Kuni, they traveled through the Rice Field country, Forest country, Waterfall country, and to save time they even cut through the southern boarder of the earth country, until they finally came to a small country nestled between The Earth and Wind countries.

Tsuru no Kuni was mostly uninhabited save for two large trade cities-one for trade with the Earth country and the other for trade with the wind Country-and one city between them where the countries Daimyou resided.

The whole country was true to its name and covered in large and small vines alike. They sprawled the floral mountain scape of the whole country. About ten miles further west of the cities, was a vast wilderness of gray crags, archtree's and "everlasting" vines. A land that few dared to tread. It had claimed over a thousand people who tried to tame it in the last century. Amateur explorers, mountain men, and experienced shinobi alike.

The skies above were prone to unpredictable weather. This was made clear as rain drizzled down across the country. The trio finally had found the central city of Baishu, twenty miles from the eastern boarder with the Earth Country. The city was protected by a massive wall armed to the teeth with ballista's, cannons, and various other defenses. it sat surrounded by cliffs leaving only its northern gate, the one and only way, in and out of the city.

They approached the large metal gates. Two guards posted on the ground and guards in towers and on the wall around them.

Naruko came to a stop to awe at the impressive size of the walls and gates to this city, "whhhooaaa."

"That's impressive even by my standards." Han said as his eyes trailed up and down the massive wall.

"Yeah-yeah, now lets just go in and see if we can find Kuja's brother." Fū said uncaringly.

She walked towards the gate and the two guards stepped in front of her, "State your name and business in the city of Baishu." One guard said calmly, almost apathetically.

"Name's Fū and we're looking for a friend of ours. What's it to you?" Fū put her hands on her waist as she glared at them.

The guard simply held out his hand as if expecting something. Fū raised her eyebrow and shook his hand "Yeah, hi, can you let us in now?" she said and she let go of his hand.

The mans eyes slowly trailed down to his hand then back to the mint-haired girl, clearing his throat, "...your admission fee please? 2500 ryo per person for adults and shinobi, 2000 ryo for children." she said, trying to remain apathetic, but a bit of irritation was still obvious.

"WHAT?!" Both Naruko and Fū shouted in unison.

"Your total would be 7500 ryo for all of you." The other guard chimed in, "No money, no entrance."

"You charge an admission fee!?" Fū blurted out.

"For a CITY?!" Naruko chimed in, equally irritated.

Fū continued to rant, "What the fucking hell kinda bull shi-" but she was interrupted by the first guard.

"Baishu law 001-paragraph 4; EVERY Non-citizen is to pay an admission fee plus an entrance tax and guest tax before admission is allowed into Baishu."

"That's absurd!" Fū barked, "An 'entrance tax'? What the _fuck_ is that?!"

"It costs money to open these massive gates, and your wasting our time which also cost money. If you have a problem with the fee you may purchase citizenship for 12,000 ryo per person in which you would only ever have to pay an entrance or exit tax." The guard said, retaining his apathetic posture well.

"I'm not gonna pay you so I can live at a place where you have to pay to go or enter!" Naruko yelled.

"Irrelevant! If you three wish to enter it will cost you 7500 ryo. Take it or leave it!" The other guard said assertively.

"Fine! Geeze, Kuja didn't even pay us that much to find his brother." Fū said. Before pulling out a couple pouches of money, counting it and giving them 7500 ryo. The guard took the money and walked over to a drop box, opened it up and dropped the money in.

"Thank you for contribution to the welfare of Baishu city. Have a wonderful evening." The apathetic guard said before the two each stepped over to a chain hanging from either side, they both pulled their respective chains and a loud unlocking noise could be heard.

"Three to enter!" The guard shouted up to the towers.

"Three to enter!" The guards In the towers repeated before they began cranking large wheels like an expert labor force. Another unlocking sound was heard.

"Three to enter!" Guards in the basements of the towers shouted as they stood next to large steam engines, before grabbing a lever and pulling hard.

The ground began to vibrate as steam shot out of the doors creases. The massive gates began to ever so slowly open up. They came to a stop no wider open than two feet.

Han pushed the two girls forward despite their desire to stay back and protest the ridiculousness.

After passing through the gates they closed as slowly as they had opened.

"I can't believe we had to PAY them to come in here and they didn't even open the gate all the way for us." Naruko growled as she crossed her arms

"A perfect example of one of the reasons I despise human beings." Han said as he repositioned his hand back into the opening of his gi, "However this city is quite spectacular."

The trio took a second look at the city. What they saw was by far the most illustrious city any of them had seen in their lives. Massive buildings, bright lights, the hectic hustle and bustle of the town even in the mild rain they were experiencing.

"I'll give them that, but still... an admission fee? C'mon!" Fū whined.

"We'll survive." Han said calmly

"Well I guess we can look at it this way... this would be the perfect place to get some work don't you think?" Naruko said.

"Yeah, that's the only reason I paid." Fū replied.

"So... where do we start?" Naruko asked.

* * *

The trio had rented some rooms at an Inn and began their search.

They split up and began searching the streets. Naruko was walking south for few before she came to an abrupt halt. She saw a sign that she was hoping to see. Nothing to do with Takata Yoshimaru. You see she had ulterior motives. She wanted some frigging Ramen before she did ANYTHING.

The sign she stared at was a god send. So she enter the shop and approached the busy bar stand.

The man approached the young woman and looked at her, "What can I get you?"

"Ramen, miso pork, Three bowls, now." She said eagerly.

"Quite an appetite, coming right up." the man said before he walked away.

After a few moments of enduring the hunger pains the man brought out her food and placed it in front of her, "Enjoy."

"I intend to! but first I want to ask you something." She said.

"Depends on the question I suppose."

"Do you know a man named Takata Yoshimaru?" she asked. before digging into her food.

"Oh you mean that super genius engineer guy that built the gates and most of our steam powered machines!" The guy said, "I don't know him personally, kinda glad I didn't since he went into the Dreadlands a month ago and hasn't come back."

"The Dreadlands?" Naruko asked with a full mouth as she slurped down the noodles.

"Yeah, you must be new around here if you don't know this stuff. The Dreadlands are the nickname of the deep wilderness ten miles west of here. Its a dangerous uncharted valley that spans the rest of the country. People go there and most don't come back. Those that do come back, never go there again."

Naruko drank down the last of her ramen and put the empty bowl down, "Ahh. thanks for the info!" Naruko said dropping some money on the tabling and dashing out to go find Han and Fū.

The man looked at the three empty bowls and chuckled, "Quite an appetite indeed."

She new Fū was searching the east part of the city and she couldn't have gotten too far yet.

Naruko jogged through the streets expertly dodging the people, until she say Fū talking to a merchant.

She ran up in time to hear her mint haired friend shout, "You want 800 ryo for one apple? Are you frigging kidding me? and another 1000 just to hear a rumor?"

"Well step into my shop here and maybe we can arrange a more... _personal_ payment." The merchant said as he eyed her with a smirk. A smirk that was immediately corrected with a fist to the face that sent him into the wall and knocked him out cold.

"Fucking pervert!" Fū growled.

"Nice shot!" Naruko said

The mint haired girl turned to her friend, "Didn't see you there, shouldn't you be looking for info? I can't get anything from anyone without them wanting money or sex!"

"Really? I found out something pretty easy when I ordered ramen. The guy said Takata Yoshimaru was the one whose responsible from the steam powered machines but he went missing a month ago in a place to the west of here called the Dreadlands." Naruko explained.

"Fair enough, we tried oh well, lets get the heck outta this city." Fū said.

"No we gotta find him, he might be in trouble." Naruko protested.

"Why?" Fū said, "I was asking for some rumors and the one I paid for was that the Dreadlands are a hell hole that sane people avoid."

"I know but we should do it for the clients. We do have a message to deliver right? What kind of example would we set for other potential clients? That we give up if its a bit dangerous?" Naruko said sternly.

Fū's eye twitched, "_ooo, she's smart. If we show people we can follow through with more advanced missions that original predicted. In a place like this where rumors are worth money that would spread like wildfire. We might even be able to get settled here permanently, in business for ourselves_." she thought.

"_**I doubt the girls mind was quite on those lines. Only YOUR brain works quite like that, little Larva**_."

* * *

The girls quickly flew to find Han. The next day, they would leave the city for the Dreadlands...

Heat radiated down from the booming sun as Naruko and the others worked their way west. Following the large roots to the wilderness in the distance.

"I'm just glad we're out of that city..." Han sighed.

Fū nodded in agreement, "But imagine the opportunities we could have with that city as a connection."

"True. However, I do not share your desires for money..." Han said calmly.

"Yeah-yeah. You're in heaven _here_ aren't you? The ultimate wilderness right?" Naruko turned to Han.

"I have to admit it does hold a significant appeal. It's becoming quite hard to contain Kokuo's desire to explore it." Han said.

"Keep it your pants, we haven't even reached the Dreadlands yet-and are the vines getting _bigger_?" Fū asked as she came to a stop and looked at the vines. The vines sprawling across the ground around Baishu were no thicker than a common tree branch. But the closer they got to the Dreadlands-where the vines seemed to be coming from-the thicker the vines laying on the ground became. So thick now, it was up to Fū's waist.

"These are some crazy weeds." Naruko said as she began looking around the vines and trees. Many of the large vines were sprouting smaller vines that intertwined with the flora of the mountain-scape.

"They don't call it the Vine Country for nothing." Han said.

Naruko looked through the bushes and plants, seeing the vines interlacing with them, "The vines are in and around everything in this place."

"You'd think they'd be choking the life outta the other plants but they're not." Fū added as she looked around.

"Well I'm not gardener so I couldn't tel-OUCH!" Naruko yelped in pain and jumped back.

Fū whirled around to see Naruko land on her butt holding her shin, "Naruko, you okay?" she asked.

Han stepped next to Naruto and noticed a rather large black scorpion, with two red lines going down its back, crawling along the vine, skittering away.

Naruko hissed in pain, squeezing her leg even tighter, "Ahh! It stung me!"

Han knelt down and pulled Naruko's hands away from the wound. It was about the size of a coin and already beginning to swell and turn purple, "This isn't good, that was a Redback Scorpion. I've seen them in the Earth country before. Unlike most venoms which only have one dominate type of toxin, the Redback's venom causes the effects of both a hemotoxin _and_ neurotoxin." He said as his armor released a jet of steam that he manipulated to flood the wound, this caused Naruko to release a shriek of pain as she latched onto his arm.

"What the hell does that mean?" Fū asked in a slight panic.

"There's only one place to get an antidote... Iwagakure. and she wont last more than an hour. In a few minutes you'll get nauseous, then dizzy as your leg goes numb, then seizures and death." Han said as he worked the steam entering her wound, "Only hope now is to try and pull the venom out with my steam."

"I-I guess its a good thing your here." Naruko said slightly shaking.

"I only know of this because Iwa uses this venom as a poison." Han said.

"Wait this country lives off of trade with your country, could it be possible that they may have some?" Fū asked a bit more worried.

"No. The antidote isn't something they would trade to anyone for anything. Its a top secret, highly controlled substance that isn't easy to make." Han said before stopping the steam, "Damn it. I could only neutralize about half of the venom."

"Wa-wait a minute... are you saying I'm about to die?" Naruko looked at Han with a look of shock and disbelief.

"I'm... sorry. There's nothing I can do." Han said as he picked her up and sat her down under a tree, against the trunk.

"Oh that's bullshit. She's a jinchuuriki, it'll take more than poison to kill her. R-Right?" Fū asked, becoming more and more unconfident about the situation.

"The first Iwa jichuuriki to house Kokuo was assassinated with this poison. When he was crippled and couldn't move they ripped Kokuo out of him and he died." Han said sternly.

"Well fuck that, I'm flying to Iwa and I'm gonna make them give me that antidote!" Fū declared as she sprouted her four wings and lifted off the ground, shooting northward through the sky.

Fū came to a screeching halt suddenly and looked down to see that a steam-empowered Han had jumped up and latched onto her ankle before throwing her straight back to the ground.

As the young female tried to get up she stopped when Han landed inches away, looming over her, "Don't be a fool! If you charged into Iwa like that, they would kill you and steal the Shichibi from your corpse!" He said commandingly.

"So what then? We just sit here and watch her die!?" Fū retorted as she stood up and retracted her wings.

"No, we search the area for any plants and herbs we can use. I might be able to replicate an antidote with the right herbs." Han said.

"Really?" The mint-haired girl asked, regaining some hope.

"Yes now go gather as many herbs as you can, quickly!" Han said and Fū nodded before taking to the air once again.

Han sighed, before the voice of his tenant echoed in his mind, "**_Han, why did you lie and tell her you might be able to cure the venom? You know you can not do that._**"

"_I couldn't just let her do something stupid like that. And at least with the herbs I can make it as painless for the girl as possible_."

The rain started to pick up again as they searched for herbs. Over and hour had gone by and Naruko's condition was worsening, but still she hung on. They had moved her to a small cave away from the rain and started a fire.

Fū landed and retracted her wings, "I couldn't find any more herbs we haven't tried! There's gotta be something you can do Han!" The armor clad man just looked away and down.

"Th-this... sucks." Naruko panted. Her face was flushed red and her breaths was shallow and raspy, "all the crap I survived... Za-Zabuza and Haku, The chunin exams, the for-forest of death, O-Orochimaru... and a stupid bug gets the honor of killing me. I wo-wonder what Shino would say in this situation."

"Hey, don't lump those disgusting creatures in with bugs, scorpions are arachnids, not bugs." Fū corrected her.

"R-Really? Correcting me on something like that in this situation?" Naruko said, one eye closed and her vision began to fade and her shaking became stronger. Then she drifted into unconsciousness.

"She's almost gone..." Han sighed as he stood up, "The only reason she's hung on this long was probably because of the kyuubi's chakra fighting the venom off."

"Damn it." Fū cursed as she turned around and walked outside of the cave into the rain that grew stronger every minute.

"I'm sorry." Han said. "I supposed it was all a silly idea in the end."

Outside, Fū wandered around, punching tree's and kicking bushes, "Damn it. Damn it! Damn it!" She came to a stop near a tree as she felt her throat swell up, her heart beating faster with fear.

The girl cupped her hand around her mouth as she braced herself against the tree, tears began creeping their way out of the corners of her eyes. She dropped to her knees, desperately trying to hold back her cries of pain.

"**_I Thought, you didn't think of her as a friend, little larva, yet your heart aches for her."_** The shichibi said from within the girls mind.

"_I don't know... I don't know what I feel or what to do to help her_!"

"**_Go back to her. That's all that matters right now_**."

Fū stood up and wiped the tears and rain water off her face before returning to the cave.

Han turned to her as she entered the cave, Naruko's whole body shivering strongly now. Fū's eyes narrowed in pain at the sight of her friend.

"Figures this happens to me. Some one worth knowing and I lose them."

"I know that pain well." Han said calmly.

The noise of foots steps approaching the cave caused Han and Fū to face the cave, ready to fight. What they saw was a man in a black cloak and hood. He stood there for a second before speaking, "The girls been stung by the Redback scorpion, yes?"

"What's it to you?" Fū asked.

"There's still a chance to save her." The man said.

"H-How?" Fū asked cautiously.

The man reached into his cloak and pulled out a bottle of liquid and tossed it the girl, who promptly examined it while the man pulled out a small pouch that he tossed to Han, "Rub that powdered root and herbs on her wound and have her drink the whole bottle of the that anti-venom. Quickly."

Han opened the pouch and examined the powder before smearing it on Naruko's wound. Fū cautiously turned to Naruko and opened the bottle to pour it into her mouth.

"Now infuse chakra into the powder on her wound." The man instructed.

Han did as instructed and the powder began to glow blue then seemed to be absorbed into the wound, the dark purple and blue color returning to normal, slowly.

Naruko coughed and gagged as the last few drops of the bottle emptied out. Naruko fluttered her eyes open, trying to fight the coughing. "Ahh-wh-what happened? What was that disgusting liquid?"

"I don't know but it seems to be making you better, We have our guest here to thank for tha..." Han stopped himself when he turned and noticed the man was gone. Fū did the same.

"What the hell? Guess he was in a hurry." Fū said.

"Did I miss something?" Naruko asked as she shook her head and sat up.

"No... but that is one fast acting antidote. Even for a Jinchuuriki's standards." Han said, "The wounds healing itself rapidly as well."

"Well I'm just relieved your okay!" Fū said as she hugged Naruko, who blushed and hugged her back.

"I don't know what's going on but I like it!" Naruko said before laying back down.

"That's an odd statement for someone who was just about to die." Han stated.

"I guess I'm just odd." Naruko grinned.

* * *

After resting up over night they left early the next morning. The rain never stopped and kept a steady flow.

The trio trekked closer and closer towards the Dreadlands. It took half a day considering flight was out of the question with Han present. They finally crossed into the Dreadlands, many vines now thicker than the biggest of trees.

"This place is what we call overgrown." Fū said as they traversed a massive vine, "We've scaled twenty vines like this in the last hour. Dodged two giant birds of prey, nearly got crushed by a giant centipede that was oblivious to our existence and its been raining for almost two days now!" Her frustration was peeking.

"Ease yourself." Han said.

"If we don't find some sort of evidence of Yoshimaru in the next hour we're turning back. This is just getting old." Fū said.

"Agreed." Han nodded.

"Ahh come one! I don't want to have almost died for nothing!" Naruko whined as she crossed her arms.

"We may not have a choice. This is pure nature at its most primal." Han said. "Even I tread carefully here."

They continued on for a few more hours, despite Fū's protests, dodging danger after danger as the sun went down, the rain never stopping. Now it was a matter of finding some shelter from the rain.

They came to a large cliff that dropped off in a valley that was surrounded by mountains, The valleys tree's were massive and the vines more massive still as they crawled up the cliffs in all dirrections.

"**_Han, th-this place_**." Kokuo said from within his host.

"_What? What is it_?"

"**_This place... this was my home before I was captured and sealed away, hundreds of years ago_**."

"_Well then, welcome home old friend_." Han said.

"Whoa check out that old school feudal mansion in the middle of the valley!" Naruko said as she pointed to the large old structure that was even higher then the trees and vines if only by a bit.

"I say that looks like a good place to find shelter for the night, come on lets go!" Fū said as she waved them along before taking off along the trees and vines. Naruko followed suit and Han merely sighed before he to followed.

It took a few minutes of racing and dodging predators but they made it to the mansion in one piece. They jumped over the large run down walls into the courtyard and towards the old building which had clearly seen better days.

They found their way to large double doors that were the entrance, and pushed them open to go inside. The halls were dark and dank, waiter dripping from a few spots on the ceiling above.

"It's not a grand hotel but it will do for the night." Fū said, "Lets see if we can find some beds."

"Jur vos de'kiel mur roka kel, virtoo kes malki!" They heard a voice echo through the halls loudly. They all sharpened their stance, ready to be ambushed.

"What the hell was that gibberish?" Fū asked.

"heyuk vishka nul set, eeys... eeys."

"Anyone catch any of that?" Naruko asked.

"I supposed it was too much to ask that you'd speak the language of another continent. Must I use this guttural language?!" The voice showed great irritation before they saw the figure of a man drop and hang from the rafters above.

"Who are you?" Naruko asked quickly.

"I could ask you that, you're in MY home after all." He said as he dropped down and landed silently in front of them. "Leave here! you are not welcome!"

Han stopped for a moment, "You're the guy that gave use the antidote."

"You will leave here immediately. None are welcome here." The man said.

"Hey we were just looking for shelter from the rain. We don't want any trouble." Naruko said as she put her hand up.

"Then you will seek shelter elsewhere. NOW!" He ordered.

"Alright, alright, we'll leave" Naruko said as they backed up and headed out the entrance.

"We really just going to leave like that?" Fū whined as she crossed her arms.

"I'm not trying to pick fights with anyone." Naruko said, "I have a plan."

"Oh _that's_ reassuring." Han retorted sarcastically.

They left the building and its protective walls, they continued towards the cliffs and the caves they would bare. within the hour they found their way to a small cave and started a fire.

"Well gee that guy wasn't a very good host." Fū joked as she munched on an apple she stored.

Naruko took a bite of the instant ramen she made "Don't worry, we'll look into it more in the morn-"

BOOM!

An explosion echoed through the valley. The trio jumped to their feet and looked outside the cave to see smoke raising from the direction of the mansion, "What the hell was that?" Han asked.

"One way to find out!" Fū declared and Naruko nodded.

Fū sprouted her wings and lifted Naruko up to fly towards it.

Han rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Never a dull moment." He said before steam shot form his armor and he vanished in a blur.

Fū and Naruko came to landing on the top of the wall protecting the mansion only to see a large group of what appeared to be mercenaries attacking the cloaked man who barred their entrance.

The man was already battle damaged as the mercenaries began surrounding him. With a quick display of taijutsu prowess he disposed of 5 men that charged him.

"Give it up! We want the power inside that mansion that you're protecting!" The apparent leader shouted.

"You will never go near her!" The man shouted before he clapped his hands together, "Kai!" he shouted before green smoke erupted from under his cloak and expanded.

Han's eyes widened, as he landed on the wall. Naruko and Fū went pale as they saw a the creature in front of them.

A massive black scorpion as big as a building with razor sharp pincers, black exoskeleton, two thick red stripes going down its back and a long tail was like that of any scorpions expect that it was not tipped with a stinger, but the head of a cobra, its fan plumed and its fangs bared.

* * *

**_NEXT CHAPTER:_**

**_The jinchuuriki get involved in the battle for the mansion_**

**_What is this scorpion__?_**

* * *

_**There ya go folks hope you liked it. Sorry bout the wait.**_

_**'Till next time this is Damiad signing off from the void!**_


	7. Satori

**_LIES, LOVE AND BETRAYAL_**

* * *

**Greetings from the void!**

**Okay folks I'm back with some more fanfic-y goodness. So with out further ado...**

* * *

_**Chapter 7: Satori**_

Han's eyes widened, as he landed on the wall. Naruko and Fū went pale as they saw the creature in front of them.

A massive black scorpion as big as a building with razor sharp pincers, black exoskeleton, two thick red stripes going down its back and a long tail was like that of any scorpions except that it was not tipped with a stinger, but the head of a cobra, its fan plumed and its fangs bared.

**-Refer to Song 2 in my profile-**

The mercenary shinobi that surrounded the arachnid, jumped away in fear. However one of the men in front of the massive creature, wasn't quite quick enough. In the blink of an eye, the Scorpion struck with its cobra-tipped tail. Its massive expanding jaw latched down the upper body of the man, its fangs piercing through his body like it wasn't even there. The Cobra chomped down to ensure the mans death before it flung his lifeless body in the air above itself, then let the corpse plummet, vanishing into its gaping maw.

Many of the men-likely the most inexperienced of the group-began to panic. Though the apparent leader, and a handful of others, seemed unphased.

"Hmph, another wild beast." The leader scoffed. "This whole country needs to be burned to the ground."

One of the calmer members of the group landed next to the leader. This man carried a large scroll across his back, "Shall we prepare our little surprise for him, Boss?"

"Yes... Give me the scroll." The leader said.

The man pulled the scroll off his back and passed it to his Boss, who then laid it out and unraveled it on the ground.

The scorpion was already having a hay-day with many of the men surrounding it. Either by slicing them to ribbons with its pincers, swallowing them whole with its cobra tail, or by crushing and impaling them with one of its eight, razor-pointed legs.

Fū stood there in awe as the creature man-handled them, "What the hell is that thing?"

"It's not a Bijuu is it?" Naruko asked.

"Definitely NOT a Bijuu." Han answered, "Its certainly powerful though."

The man that once bore the large scroll on his back began circling around the beast to its left as he bit down on both his thumbs to draw blood. The man came to a stop and smeared the blood across seal markings in his palms. In puffs of smoke, two very large shuriken appeared in his hands. Each was completely covered in explosive tags.

"Have a taste of this!" The man shouted before he viciously threw each shuriken at the arachnid. The creatures eyes immediately detected the incoming threat and just before they impacted on his side, the creature actually jumped straight into the air, allowing the shuriken to pass below it.

"Not that easy!" The man shouted before chakra threads appeared, connected the tips of his middle fingers to the centers of the shuriken, with a few puppet like weaves of his fingers the shuriken immediately changed course, flying straight up into the creatures under belly. Both shuriken detonated on impact.

Both of the creatures heads released volatile roar-like hisses. But the creature landed safely, with black smoke leaking from under its body.

The man then summoned two more identical shuriken to his hands, before throwing them as well. But the scorpion countered by rearing its cobra head back, "Venom Cloud!" The raspy and gruff voice of the scorpion echoed out, just before its cobra tail opened its mouth and sprayed a green and purple jet of fog straight from its fang-tips.

It proved to be a most corrosive substance, as it consumed the shuriken and dissolved them into nothing in less than a second. The fast moving jet of toxins caused the man to freeze in fear, milliseconds before the cloud blasted past him and dissolved his body just as quickly as it did to his shuriken.

"I am beginning to like this bug." Han smirked under his mask.

Fū glared at Han, "It's not a bug, its an ARACHNID! God, why can people never get that right?!"

"If its crawls on the ground with more than four legs... it's a bug." Han retorted curtly.

"Really?! That's your reasoning? I expected you, Mister One-with-the-wild, of ALL people would know that's an arachnid!" Fū crossed her arms and sneered at him.

Han turned his gaze to her, "I specialize in _beasts_, not bugs."

"It's an ARACHNID!"

"Guys can you both just shut up and watch? That one guys doing something with that big scroll." Naruko interrupted them. They redirected their attention back the leader of the mercenary shinobi.

He had just finished a rather long string of hand signs before pressing his palm onto the intricate seal on the large scroll, "Fuuinjutsu: Binding Whirlpool Chains, release!" He shouted before ten silver chains, covering in seal markings, with razor-sharp spear tips came swirling out if the scroll before they each dug into the ground.

The scorpion had just slammed its right pincer down on one of the men, flattening him into a paste, when one of the chains sprouted from the ground and looped over said pincer, pinning it to the ground before it dug back into the soil.

Another chain sprouted up out of the ground behind the arachnid before it weaved its way up and wrapped itself around the length of the its tail before reaching the cobra head and wrapping around its jaws to keep them closed. Another chain shot out and pulled the creatures tail down, pinning it to ground. Then one chain after another continued to swirl around and ensnare its body, limp by limb until finally the scorpion was pinned flat against the ground.

The scorpion began to flail and squirm in a fruitless effort to free itself.

The leader stood up and smirked as his men began to regain their morale and lose their fear. He walked up to the creature and smirked down into its eight eyes that bore his reflection, "Stop struggling, those chains are preventing chakra from flowing through your disgusting body."

The scorpion growled and hissed at the man.

"You could have saved yourself from this trouble if you had just stepped aside and let us through."

Han crossed his arms in front of himself, "Well I guess that's the end of it."

"Screw that! I'm helping him." Naruko said before she jumped down from the wall to the courtyard. Han reached his hand out in disbelief, "Seriously? Are frigging stupid? It's not our fight OR our problem!"

"He's the one that gave me that anti-venom stuff. I owe him! He can't be that bad!" Naruko shouted from below just before she pulled out a kunai and threw it at the leader.

The man raised an eyebrow and turned to his right to see the kunai in time to lean his head back, avoiding it completely, "What's this now? More interference?"

Naruko summoned a clone and it began forming a rasengan in her hand as they ran in. A few of the shinobi charge at her, their weapons ready.

One man swiped his sword down at her only for her to thrust the sphere of chakra at him, smashing it through his katana and into his gut before he was sent hurdling through the air like a rocket.

The leader lazily trailed his subordinates course with his eyes, "Alright then." He said before pulling a tantou out of its sheath on his back, "Kill her." He ordered calmly. All of his men began charging and lunging at Naruko.

Fū shrugged and sprouted two wings before flying in after Naruko. Han merely face-palmed before he too, jumped down, forming hand signs. "Steam Spear!" He shouted as steam shot from the joints of his right arm and gathered in a spherical shape in the palm of his hand. He then thrust his hand forward and the sphere quickly stretched out into a point and flew through the air, piercing straight through one of the men who was attempting to attack Naruko, killing him instantly.

Naruko smirked, "Fū! Blind them!"

Fū quickly formed a set of hand signs, "Hidden Scale Powder!" she shouted before exhaling a massive cloud of the glittering dust, that rained onto the courtyard from above. The blanket of powder between those on the ground and what few rays of sun-light that peeked through the clouds, reflected the light magnificently.

Many of the men were instantly blinded. Just in time for Naruko and her Clone to pummel a few that stood in her way. The two Naruko's lunged at the leader, ready to strike. The man simply ducked under the real ones fist as she went by, then spun around and sliced the clone in half, dispersing it.

The real Naruko whirled back around, pulling the large scroll off her back and swinging it at the man who leaned back, avoiding it. He then spun around and kicked the girl in the side of her head. Sending her rolling across the ground.

From high in the sky, Fū came swooping in at subsonic speeds, plowing through several of the shinobi before aiming herself at their leaders back.

The leader didn't even look behind himself before he back flipped and, with that same motion, drove a kick into the back of Fū's head, sending her tumbling, face first into the ground, skidding several feet away before she corrected herself.

Han caught the fist of an opposing shinobi, just before using his other arm to snap his elbow in the opposite direction, at the same time delivering a fierce upper-cut to the mans chin before grabbing his hair and yanking his head down, snapping his neck and flipping him on to his back. He then spun around and used a steam amplified backhand to send another opponent rolling across the ground.

Han looked over to see Naruko and Fū caught in a taijutsu flurry with the leader, "He's definitely jonin or ANBU level." He said to himself just before whirling around and delivering a powerful kick to the gut of an attacking shinobi. This blow knocked the wind out of the mans chest before Han jumped up and delivered a devastating knee to the mans chin, lifting him high in the air with Han still following him.

Han planted his feet on the man and used him as a launching pad to jump father through the air. After a few flips Han brought a powerful kick down on the head of a shinobi below him, however he didn't stop there. With his momentum he pressed the man into the ground and rode him almost like a surf board. Han began to make the sliding body beneath him spin as he launched Bijuu arm-inspired hands of steam that pounded and clobbered one enemy after the next until he launched himself off of the mans body and sent him into the feet of another, propelling him into the air and straight into an overpowered, steam-fueled fist, courtesy of Han.

The mans head caved in and he was sent flying into one of the large vines, nearby.

Han landed with a surprisingly amount of grace. He turned to see Fū miss landing a punch on the leader who turned and grabbed her by one of her wings before slicing it off with his Tantou.

"AAhhhhhhhh" Fū shrieked in pain before she rolled forward. She attempted to grip the now bleeding stump that was once a beautiful wing.

The man inspected the wing, "_Interesting Kekkei Genkai she has. If that's even what it is_." he thought to himself before discarding the wing like a piece of litter.

Fū writhed in pain on the ground and Naruko started to feel her anger well up inside of her, "You bastard!" She shouted before forming two clones, each of which started forming a Rasengan in her hands.

Han noticed this and prepared himself by forming a string of hand signs.

Naruko lunged her attacks at the man, "Rasengan Barrage!"

The man scoffed and front flipped over her, planting his hand on her shoulder for a bit of an extra boost. He landed safely behind her. Naruko spun around and try to attack him again, but the second she made eye contact he was already holding up his index and middle fingers, "Kai." With that one word Naruko noticed an explosive tag attached to her shoulder, light up then, milliseconds later, it detonated.

The blast sent Naruko flopping, helplessly across the ground. Her frame trailing smoke in its wake.

"Fire style: Fireball jutsu!" The man heard a voice behind him and whipped around barely in time to jump over the searing blaze of heat that Fū had released at him.

Fū sprouted her third and fourth wings to compensate for her now missing one. With one mighty flap she launched herself at the man and plowed head-first into his chest. Intercepting him in mid-air.

The man grunted with anger from the impact. Fū was already forming more hand signs, even with her head driving into the mans gut, "Wind style; Twin Gusts!" she flapped her wings and blew a gale of wind from her mouth that combined to create one swirling vortex in side of an even bigger one. The blast of wind sent the man into a Vine, causing a small crater upon impact.

"Y-You little... wh-whore. You'll pay for th-that" The man cursed.

"To make her pay for that you'd have to survive what I'm about to do to you." The man heard and looked up to see Han standing on the vine, just now finishing his hand signs, "Which you wont. Forbidden Art; Evaporation Zone!"

The man was just about to jump from the vine but a dome-like sphere of pure boiling steam expanded from around Han's body. It grew to such size it consumed the whole section of the massive vine, including the man.

An agonizing and gut-wrenching scream of pure agony echoed from the dome of steam for about three seconds before it faded. The dome then quickly shrank back down and dissipated. Leaving the section of vine completely withered, dry and dead. The mans body was also in a similarly withered state. He was nothing but leathery skin and bones.

The few remaining mercenaries that were still alive took this as their cue to get the hell out of there.

Han jumped down and walked towards Fū, who was panting. "Good lord. You two are the most impulsive idiots I've ever see. Do you see what happens when you rush into something you don't understand? Fū! You're even worse! You think that just because you're a Jinchuuriki you're unstoppable! Well news flash kid, you're _not_! You're lucky he was toying with you and only decided to cut your wing off instead of your head!"

Fū looked down and away in shame. She didn't even have a comeback for that one.

"Hey! Don't take it out on her!" Naruko said as she walked up, holding her shoulder, "I'm the one that rushed in. Yell at me if you have to yell at all."

"Both of you need some sense beaten into you." Han said.

The trio began a small argument as the Scorpion intently watched them. It was still pinned by the chains.

Han sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, then turned his attention back to the scorpion, "So what do we do about him?" He asked

"Free him from the chains, of course." Naruko said before she walked over to the scroll that the chains protruded from.

"Really? Cause I say we leave him like that and get out of here. He's already showed us hostility." Han said.

Naruko just ignored Han's statement.

"Of course it's not like you're going to listen to me..." Han sighed again before approaching the scroll with Fū in tow.

Naruko knelt down and examined the scroll and its seal work, "I'm still not that good at seal work, but If my guess is right all I have to do to retract the chains is this..." She said before pushing two fingers against the center trigram, "Fuuin!" she said as she pumped a little chakra into the seal. The chains instantly vanished in puffs of smoke.

The scorpion launched had its cobra tail bare its fangs at the trio.

Naruko stood up and held her hands up in a safe gesture, "It's okay! we don't want to fight!"

"You expect me to believe you? When moments after you left here those bastards attacked?!" The arachnid growled.

"We didn't have anything to do with that. We aren't affiliated with these nobodies." Fū stated.

"I don't care. I've already told you once! None are welcome here! Leave now before I dissolve you all!" He ordered as he took a few steps towards them. However an echoing voice halted him in his tracks.

"_That's enough Doku_." The feminine voice called out. It seemed to be coming from all directions, "_Be at ease_."

"But, we can't trust outsiders! All of them have been nothing but trouble!"

"_Doku, it's okay. I sense no hostile intent. In fact, it's quite the opposite_."

"Where the hell is that voice coming from?" Fū asked as she looked around.

"_I apologize for my Guardians abrasive nature. Doku please bring them to me. I will explain_."

With a sigh and a puff of green smoke the scorpion returned to his cloaked human shape, "As you wish. Follow me." He instructed before turning towards the entrance of the mansion.

The trio exchanged looks before Naruko shrugged and started following Doku. The others then followed her.

Once inside Doku began leading them through the vast halls of the mansion until they reached a large spiral stair case that lead all the way to basement and to the top floor.

He silently lead them down the staircase that seemed to go on forever. Naruko picked up her pass a bit to catch up to the man, "Hey, its Doku, right?"

"What is it?" The man asked blankly.

"I just wanted to thank you for that antidote. I'd be dead if it wasn't for you." She said.

Doku merely shifted his shadowed eyes to the girl, then back to the stairs.

They reached the basement and Doku lead them to an old storage room. He walked up to an old suit of Samurai armor, that was poised proudly with its Katana tip on the ground and its hands resting on the end of the hilt.

Doku grabbed the katana and pulled it out from under the armors hands. With out this brace, the arms lowered in an almost mechanical fashion, just before a loud clicking noise was heard and the stone wall behind the armor folded in like a pair of suicide doors, revealing another set of stairs.

Doku propped the katana against a nearby crate before walking into the secret passage.

"hhm... I expected the book shelf or a torch holder to open a secret path." Fū stated.

"Everyone does. That's why its not one of those." Doku said.

After they followed the stairs down about another floors worth, they came to a small room with a large metal door on the other end. Doku walked up and pushed the large door open revealing a large underground chamber. The chamber walls were lined with vines. It appeared to be a bottomless pit that a gentle blue light seemed to emit from. The only thing to walk on was a thin stone bridge that lead to a platform in the center of chamber.

Doku brought them to the center before stopping. "Here they are." He announced.

"_Thank you Doku_." They heard the voice once again. Just then the light from below grew a bit brighter, soon the trio realized it was because the light source was rising up to them from the pit.

Within moments the blue spectral form of a beautiful young woman rose up in front of them. Her body-long hair flowed gracefully around her. Her nude appearance revealed a sensual and curvy body with C-cup breasts.

The trio just kind of stared at her radiant opalescence.

The spectral female opened her eyes to look upon her guests, "_Greetings my friends. My name is Satori, the Spirit of the Vine_."

"Okay, yeah, that's _definitely_ a new one in my book." Han stated in awe.

Satori let out a slight giggle, "_What are your names_?" She asked

"I'm Uzumaki Naruko."

"I'm Fū"

"And I am Han no Gobi."

"_I was asking the girls. I am already very aware of who you are Han. After all, Kokuo is a friend of mine_."

"You're what hurts?" Han asked with a bit of disbelief.

Satori giggled again, "_Yes, I've been in contact with Kokuo since you three arrived in the valley. That's the main reason I trusted you three enough to let you down here_."

"That explains why he's been quiet since we got here." Han looked at the seal on the back of his hand.

"_Oh, I assure you he's been anything but quiet. I forgot how much of a talker he was._" Satori smiled.

"So you mean to tell me that you're friends with the Gobi?" Fū asked, "What is this? Coincidence day?"

"_There is no such thing as coincidence. Only fate_." Satori answered.

"So what are your guys' story?" Naruko asked.

"_Well it all started almost three hundred years ago. The feudal lord of what is now known as the Wind country, built this mansion as a Safe house. Then when assassins sent by a political rival almost killed him, he fled with his family and small number of loyal servants to this valley." _She explained,_ "Deciding that giving up his title of feudal lord was the best way to keep his family safe, they remained here. But several months later his daughter was poisoned by an assassin, with the venom of a red back scorpion_."

"That's terrible..." Naruko said.

"_Shortly before that, they had discovered the capabilities of the vines that cover this country. They deemed them, Chakra Vines. Just like specially crafted metals of the modern day, these vines can be manipulated with chakra. They also have several medicinal purposes. However their knowledge was not expansive enough to prevent the young girl from dying. She was on her death bed with only hours to live. Her father, in a moment of grief and desperation, had his most trusted advisor use a forbidden art, to extract her soul, chakra, lifeforce and mind from her dying body. He then sealed it within the Great Tangle. The very roots of the vines_."

"Obviously that was you." Han said as he slipped his hand into his gi.

Satori nodded, "_In doing this I was able to live on, eternally linked to the Vines. Although I don't age and must live forever, it does come with useful perks. I am able to see, feel and communicate with anything that's within the range of the vines. Everything from complex life-forms like Bijuu, to humans, to the simplest of insects_."

"That's sooo cool" Naruko awed.

"_I thought so too, at first_." Satori giggled, "_But I soon realized this is partially a curse. My friends and family aged away and died, while I remained. I also discovered the weight of responsibility that came with this gift. After a couple of decades had passed and my family was gone, I grew lonely. Until Kokuo happened upon this Valley. We became friends. However Kokuo was a wild and free-spirited being. So he would often leave the country to travel and see the world. But he always returned. That went on for almost fifty years. But then one time he left to venture north. I never saw him again after that until now_."

"Iwa sealed him away. It wasn't his fault." Han stated.

"_I know, I understand that now. I thought he had abandoned me. Not long after that, I met Doku here. He had traveled far, from another continent. He had collapsed in the far western reaches of the Dreadlands, nearly starved to death, wounded by humans who were hunting him. I used the vines to protect him and bring him here where I healed his wounds. He's been with me ever since. My own self-appointed guardian_." She giggled.

Doku blushed under the shadow of his hood.

A light bulb went off in Naruko's head, "Wait a minute, you said you were stung by a Red back scorpion." She turned to Doku, "Is that why you helped me when I was stung by one? Because Satori had to endure that?"

Doku nodded, "Yes. I saw a bit of Satori in you at that time, and I didn't wish for more needless deaths."

"See? Told you he wasn't such a bad guy!" Naruko smirked at her two comrades.

"_You all must be tired, cold and sore_." Satori stated as she held her palm out to them, "_Here, this should help_." She said as three vines peeled them selves off the walls. One went towards Doku, one to Naruko and one to Fū. Flower-like bulbs suddenly grew from the vines and bloomed, releasing a gentle flow of green chakra onto the three. Their wounds quickly healed and vanished.

"Wow, the pain is gone." Fū said. Just to be sure, she sprouted her wings and the one that was severed had grown back, as good as new.

"Jeeze, you can do allot can't you?" Naruko asked.

"What? I don't get any awesome healing chakra?" Han asked.

"_Forgive me if I am mistaken, but you aren't injured in any way, are you_?" Satori looked at him with her head slightly cocked to the side.

"Well... no, I'm not, but it would have been nice to have been considered." Han said as he crossed his arms.

"_You're adorable. Very much like Kokuo_!" Satori said. Her, Naruko and Fū all started giggling at the armored man.

Han's eye twitched and Doku merely shook his head.

* * *

**_NEXT CHAPTER:_**

**_The Jinchuuriki request Satori's help in finding Yoshimaru_**

**_Has the trio found two powerful new allies?_**

* * *

**_Well there was chapter 7! Again sorry for the wait. I hope you all enjoyed._**

**_'Til next time this is Damiad signing off from the Void!_**


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